On August 27, 2006, the NPC Standing Committee passed the country's Supervision Law to help lawmakers keep government officials in check.

Under the Supervision Law, the standing committees of people's congresses at and above the county level are authorized to repeal any inappropriate decisions or orders issued by governments at the same level. The law also allows standing committees to summon government officials and request explanations of their practices and policies.

The NPC Standing Committee also passed the Corporate Bankruptcy Law last August, which provides protection to both creditors and workers of insolvent companies.

On October 31, 2006, the NPC Standing Committee adopted an amendment to the Organic Law of the People's Courts to implement strict controls in the use of the death penalty. The amendment states that, beginning January 1 of this year, all death penalty sentences issued by provincial courts require approval from the Supreme People's Court before they can be carried out.

The Supreme People's Court will review the evidence, laws and regulations application, measurement of penalty, and the litigation process in the previous trial and will hear testimony from the defendant either in person or by letters, before reaching the final decision.

In addition, the NPC standing Committee deliberated other law drafts including the draft of the Labor Contract Law, and passed amendments to the law on compulsory education, the banking supervision law, and the law on the protection of minors.

A series of new laws and regulations including the Law on Specialized Peasants Cooperatives, the Passport Law, a law on farm produce quality safety, and an anti-money laundering law, were also passed by the NPC Standing Committee.

The NPC Standing Committee members have also submitted the drafts of a new property law and corporate tax law to be deliberated on by the fifth full session of the national legislature when it meets this weekend.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2007)