This would root out unprincipled judges, prosecutors and lawyers and fight corruption, according to Sun Qian, president of the National Judicial College.

This was one of a number of proposals suggested by Sun for judicial reform yesterday at an international forum on legal education, which was sponsored by Renmin University of China's law school.

Judicial officials should be recruited from top law school graduates and those whose standards fall below a minimum professional level should be weeded out, he said.

All judicial officials and lawyers should receive training from one and a half years to two years. This should include classroom study and work experience, he added.

The laws relating to judges and prosecutors stipulate that training must take place.

Sun suggested that all training organizations scattered around the country should be unified under a two-level judicial educational network. At the central level, the National Judicial College should be responsible for the training of senior legal professionals and training centres at provincial level.

Currently, almost every court and procuratorate above prefectural level has its own training organization.

"With so many training units, the financial burden on the country has increased and efficiency has been lowered," Sun said.

(China Daily 12/05/2000)