Xinhua Communiqué about the 4th Plenum (translation complete)

The 4th Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was held between 20 and 23 October 2014, in Beijing. The Plenum listened to and discussed the Work Report Xi Jinping presented on behalf of the Politburo, and deliberated and passed the “CCP Central Committee Decision concerning Some Major Questions on Moving Ruling the Country According to the Law Forward”.

The 4th Plenum of the 18th Party Congress decided to appoint the alternate Central Committee members Ma Jiantang, Wang Zuo’an and Mao Wanchun as Central Committee members.

The Plenum deliberated and passed the examination report of the Central Discipline Inspection Committee concerning the grave disciplinary problems of Li Dongsheng, Jiang Jiemin, Wang Yongchun, Li Chuncheng and Wan Qingliang, it deliberated and passed the Central Military Commission Discipline Inspection Committee concerning the grave disciplinary problems of Yang Jinshan, and affirmed the disciplinary discharge from Part membership of Li Dongsheng, Jiang Jiemin, Wang Yongchun, Li Chuncheng and Wan Qingliang imposed previously by the Politburo.

The 4th Plenum of the 18th Party Congress pointed out that the objectives of comprehensively moving ruling the country according to the law forward are building a Socialist rule of law system with Chinese characteristics, and building a Socialist rule of law country.

The Plenum made the major tasks to completely move ruling the country according to the law forward: perfecting a Socialist legal system with the Constitution at the core, and strengthening the implementation of the Constitution; deeply moving administration according to the law forward; and accelerating the construction of a rule of law government; guaranteeing judicial fairness, and raising the judiciary’s credibility; strengthening the entire people’s sense of the rule of law, and moving the construction of a rule of law society forward; accelerating the construction of rule of law work teams; and strengthening and improving Party leadership over comprehensively moving ruling the country according to the law forward.

The Plenum pointed out that to construct a Socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics, we must persist in the precedence of legislation and giving rein to the guiding and driving role of legislation. Deeply move scientific legislation and democratic legislation forward, perfect systems to collect and elucidate legislative matters, complete channels and methods with legislative bodies in the lead and orderly participation from all walks of society, broaden channels for citizens’ orderly participation in legislation.

The Plenum pointed out that, to persist in ruling the country according to the law, we must first persist in ruling the country according to the Constitution, and to persist in administration according to the law, we must first persist in administration according to the Constitution. Complete constitutional implementation and supervision systems, perfect constitutional supervision systems of the National People’s Congress and its Standing Committee, complete procedural mechanisms for constitutional interpretation.

The Plenum pointed out that [we must] completing mechanisms for policymaking according to the law, determine that citizen participation, expert argumentation, risk assessment, legality review and collective discussion and decision-making are major statutory procedures for administrative policymaking, establish legality review mechanisms for major policy decisions within administrative bodies, and establish lifelong responsibility and punishment mechanisms and responsibility tracing mechanisms for major policy decisions.

The Plenum pointed out that [we must] perfect mechanisms to ensure the independent and fair exercise of judicial powers and prosecutorial powers according to the law, establish record, reporting and responsibility investigation systems for leading cadres’ interference with judicial activities, and involving themselves with the handling of concrete cases, and establish and perfect protection mechanisms for judicial personnel exercising their statutory duties.

The Plenum pointed out that [we must] optimize the allocation of judicial powers, promote the implementation of structural reform trials where judicial powers and enforcement powers are separated, the Supreme People’s Court will establish circuit courts, the establishment of People’s Courts and People’s Procuratorates operating across administrative areas will be explored, and the establishment of pro bono litigation systems raised by prosecutorial bodies will be explored.

The authority of the law springs from its endorsement in the people’s hearts, and their sincere belief. The people’s rights and interests must rely on legal guarantees; the authority of the law must rely on the support of the people. We must carry forward the spirit of Socialist rule of law, establish a Socialist rule of law culture, strengthen the vigour and initiative within the entire society to rigorously practice the rule of law, create a social atmosphere in which abiding by the law is glorious and violating the law is disgraceful, and ensure that the whole body of the people become faithful worshippers, conscious observers and firm defenders of Socialist rule of law.

The Plenum pointed out that [we must] move forward with the normalization, specialization and professionalization of specialist rule of law teams, establish systems to recruit legislative workers, judges and prosecutors from among lawyers and legal experts who meet conditions, complete standardized and convenient mechanisms to recruit talent from among graduates with a political-legal specialization, and perfect professional protection systems.

The Plenum pointed out that [we must] raise Party members’ and cadres’ rule of law thinking and ability to handle affairs according to the law, make the achievements of rule of law building into an important content to measure the work achievements of all levels’ leadership ranks and leading cadres, bring it into the career achievement assessment indicator framework, and make the ability to abide by the law and handle affairs according to the law into an important content of cadre evaluation.

 

 

中国共产党第十八届中央委员会第四次全体会议，于2014年10月20日至23日在北京举行。全会听取和讨论了习近平受中央政治局委托作的工作报告，审议通过了《中共中央关于全面推进依法治国若干重大问题的决定》。

十八届四中全会按照党章规定，决定递补中央委员会候补委员马建堂、王作安、毛万春为中央委员会委员。

全会审议并通过中共中央纪律检查委员会关于李东生、蒋洁敏、王永春、李春城、万庆良严重违纪问题审查报告，审议并通过中共中央军事委员会纪律检查委员会关于杨金山严重违纪问题审查报告，确认中央政治局之前作出的给予李东生、蒋洁敏、杨金山、王永春、李春城、万庆良开除党籍的处分。

十八届四中全会提出，全面推进依法治国，总目标是建设中国特色社会主义法治体系，建设社会主义法治国家。

全会明确了全面推进依法治国的重大任务：完善以宪法为核心的中国特色社会主义法律体系，加强宪法实施；深入推进依法行政，加快建设法治政府；保证公正司法，提高司法公信力；增强全民法治观念，推进法治社会建设；加强法治工作队伍建设；加强和改进党对全面推进依法治国的领导。

全会提出，建设中国特色社会主义法制体系，必须坚持立法先行，发挥立法的引领和推动作用。深入推进科学立法、民主立法，完善立法项目征集和论证制度，健全立法机关主导、社会各方有序参与立法的途径和方式，拓宽公民有序参与立法途径。

全会提出，坚持依法治国首先要坚持依宪治国，坚持依法执政首先要坚持依宪执政。健全宪法实施和监督制度，完善全国人大及其常委会宪法监督制度，健全宪法解释程序机制。

全会提出，健全依法决策机制，把公众参与、专家论证、风险评估、合法性审查、集体讨论决定确定为重大行政决策法定程序，建立行政机关内部重大决策合法性审查机制，建立重大决策终身责任追究制度及责任倒查机制。

全会提出，完善确保依法独立公正行使审判权和检察权的制度，建立领导干部干预司法活动、插手具体案件处理的记录、通报和责任追究制度，建立健全司法人员履行法定职责保护机制。

全会提出，优化司法职权配置，推动实行审判权和执行权相分离的体制改革试点，最高人民法院设立巡回法庭，探索设立跨行政区划的人民法院和人民检察院，探索建立检察机关提起公益诉讼制度。

法律的权威源自人民内心拥护和真诚信仰。人民权益要靠法律保障，法律权威要靠人民维护。必须弘扬社会主义法治精神，建设社会主义法治文化，增强全社会厉行法治积极性和主动性，形成守法光荣、违法可耻社会氛围，使全体人民都成为社会主义法治忠实崇尚者、自觉遵守者、坚定捍卫者。

全会提出，推进法治专门队伍正规化、专业化、职业化，完善法律职业准入制度，建立从符合条件的律师、法学专家中招录立法工作者、法官、检察官制度，健全从政法专业毕业生中招录人才的规范便捷机制，完善职业保障体系。

全会提出，提高党员干部法治思维和依法办事能力，把法治建设成效作为衡量各级领导班子和领导干部工作实绩重要内容、纳入政绩考核指标体系，把能不能遵守法律、依法办事作为考察干部重要内容。