In 2006, our number one task is to persist in the Strike Hard campaign, strictly punish crimes that subvert state power and try to split the country.

Initial open court sessions of death penalty cases during their second verdict in some provinces and municipalities have proved to be successful. The Supreme People's Court is confident to spread it nationwide.

The number of complaints against courts and court staff, which was on the rise for years, began to drop for the first time last year.

As of July 1, 2006, all the second-instance trials of death sentence cases shall be heard in open court.

Courts have often been taken as branches of the government and judges viewed as civil servants who have to follow orders from superiors.

There is no stipulation on doing away with death penalty in China's existing laws, and there has been no decision on whether death penalty will no longer be applicable to certain kinds of crimes.

The problem of many cases and few people ... has become especially apparent. The problem of overwhelming caseloads in many courts is in dire need of improvement.

The problem of overwhelming caseloads in many courts is in dire need of improvement.

We hope that the reform of the recruitment system for judges and the introduction of assistants will help establish a stricter system for entering the profession and that a better training system will improve the proficiency of judges.

We must continue to follow the policy of being both strict and lenient according to the actual situation of the cases, and show leniency to the convicts who only committed minor offences or merited milder punishment and even exemption of punishment.