Case shows independent judiciary necessary

The release of two wrongly imprisoned people has rightly made the headlines but measures must be taken to make sure that miscarriages of justice do not take place and an independent judiciary would help ensure this, said a comment in the People’s Daily (excerpts below):

Zhang Hui and Zhang Gaoping, two men in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, were finally set free in March after suffering a miscarriage of justice.

They had been imprisoned for 10 years for a crime they did not commit.

They were sentenced despite weak evidence. A number of people called for the case to be reviewed over the last decade but nothing happened.

To prevent something like this happening again, it is necessary to deepen judicial reform. The first measure should be, without doubt, an independent judiciary. Both prosecutors and courts should operate independently, free from interference.

More measures are also needed to protect the rights of the accused. Luckily the revised criminal code has emphasized this point and we look forward to the effectiveness of new measures.

The national leaders said they want the people to experience justice in every case. For this to occur, it is necessary to promote an independent judiciary and better protect defendant’s rights.