Evidence of Coercion

(Beijing) - New regulations jointly issued by China's top judicial institutions and the Ministry of Public Security on May 30 are aimed at putting an end to the practice of extorting confessions by torture.

There are three major breakthroughs in the latest regulation, according to Professor Chen Ruihua at the Law School of Beijing University. Detailed rules have been laid down to prohibit the use of illegal evidence. A criterion for the use of criminal evidence in sentencing has been set. In addition, standards on evidence have been formally written into law.