Sweeping changes in the recruitment and training of judges to promote "fairness and efficiency" were announced in July by Chief Justice Xiao Yang of the Supreme People's Court. Under the proposed new system judges, and a new category of assistant judges, must have proper professional qualifications in addition to the usual qualifications required of civil servants. They would be recruited directly, rather than promoted from among legal clerks as at present. They would also have an improved on-the-job training system and a more effective disciplinary system.