State media announced on Wednesday that China will take measures to promote judicial independence over the next five years, including the establishment of specialized tribunals for technical fields such as environmental and intellectual property cases, Reuters reported. Xinhua said that trial judges’ right to issue rulings independently would be “further guaranteed,” and added that local courts’ finances will be managed separately from fines and litigation fees. At present local officials often influence court decisions, and miscarriages of justice caused by abuses of power have stoked public discontent. The news comes after the Supreme People’s Court appointed a senior judge to head a newly-formed environmental tribunal last month.
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