In the past few years the growth of China's economy has been relatively stable and smooth despite the global recession. But only a few people have noticed that China has also made progress in judicial reform. The National People's Congress, together with its authorized bran-ches, has passed a considerable number of new laws and amendments to adjust to new situations.

These efforts have paved the way toward better human rights protection and rule of law. Several principles, such as higher respect for life and the presumption of innocence, have been introduced or reaffirmed.

There is still debate on whether it is time to totally abolish capital punishment. However, there is a growing consensus among both professionals and the public that capital punishment should be more strictly controlled and only used as a last resort.