Xinhua News, 2009-05-13
In an effort to better grasp “public opinion” and “promote judicial fairness,” the Jinshui District (Zhengzhou, Henan Province) Juvenile Court invited over 200 local university students to observe the trial of two juvenile defendants accused of robbery. The court also solicited “conviction and sentencing advice” from six student representatives and reportedly adopted their advice in giving the defendants “lenient” sentences of three years and one and a half years fixed term imprisonment, respectively. In later interviews, the vice-chief judge of the juvenile court and a local law professor both disagreed with “some people who think inviting college students [to participate] in panel hearings on cases is unsuitable” and affirmed the positive role students could play in judicial proceedings.
No comments:
Post a Comment