Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the statement at a national conference on civil trial held in Beijing Thursday.

The meeting was sponsored by the Supreme People's Court in an effort to determine how to ensure the establishment of the new conception and mechanism for the country's civil judgment sector compatible with a socialist market economy.

In his speech, the NPC leader supported the ongoing judicial reform and the efforts to reinforce the judicial departments. China is building a judicial system with its own characteristics, which is different from that of western countries, he stressed.

Through the reform, China's judicial departments will be ensured the independent rights in their field in defiance of any interference by administrative bodies, social groups and individuals, he noted.

He made it clear that the Constitution guarantees the independent judicial rights by courts and procuratorates, stressing that this is the premise and base for a fair judicature.

Li laid down three principles for the supervision of the judicature by the people's congress as follows:

-- The supervision must be put under the leadership of the Party;

-- People's congress gets no judicial rights, but instead, by the supervision, initiates an internal supervisory mechanism of judicial bodies;

-- People's congress exercises its supervisory rights collectively to prevent the interference in judicial independence by deputies.

Xiao Yang, president of the Supreme People's Court, presided over the meeting.

(Xinhua 10/26/2000)