China ordered judges and prosecutors to boost activity in the livelihoods of citizens this year as the country tries to overcome a slowing economy and the impact of the devastating swine fever that hit the economy hard in 2019.
According to China Daily, President of the Supreme People's Court Zhou Qiang said in a recent conference that courts "at all levels" to appropriately hear cases that relate to the livelihoods of people across the country.
Zhou added that courts should also focus on ensuring the security of people whose cases relate to medical care, wages, employment, nursing services, and everything else that has to do with family and marriage.
For Zhou, proper hearing of cases and appropriate processing of livelihood-related cases will help the government in its efforts to fight graft and corruption occurring within poverty alleviation programs in the country.
Procurator-General of the procuratorate body, Zhang Jun, echoed Zhou's statements. He said the high court will punish "without hesitation" individuals or groups who are found to have committed graft or corruption in poverty alleviation initiatives.
Zhang went on to encourage legal entities to collaborate with financial institutions in efforts to fight activities signaling illicit gains. He said proper regulation in financial sectors as well as prosecution offices will help maintain a "prosperous society."
The calls for better prosecution processes and improved hearing activities came after statistics revealed that in 2019, environmental public-interest lawsuits reached 69,000. The said volume accounts for a 16.6 percent hike from the previous year.
In graft-related cases in China, a Chinese court on Tuesday finally put behind bars former head of Interpol Meng Hongwei after he was arrested in October 2018 for graft charges. According to the Financial Times, Meng was president of the Interpol for two years before his arrest.
Beijing's court in Tianjin city said Meng abused his authority during his tenure. He is said to have obtained at least $2 million in bribes, with the court's website stating that he used his chief position to "seek improper profits" that were found to benefit others.
Meng reportedly did not seek to appeal his case but his wife, Grace Meng, has filed a case against the Interpol for its alleged failure to assist the accused and his family in appealing for Meng's case.
China has been fierce on its stand against corruption ever since President Xi Jinping came to power. He has been calling on other countries to extradite fugitives who escaped the country while still faced with charges in home turf.
Earlier this month, Xi said during the Plenary Session of the 19th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) that the Communist Party of China (CPC) will be improved if efforts to abide by the party's rules are protected.
