China boosts judicial transparency

China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) has issued a judicial interpretation which clarifies procedures of cross examining cases of state compensation. The move aims to boost the country's judicial transparency and ensure that the compensation claimants and organs liable for compensation have equal rights of information, participation and expression. Cross examination should be made public except for those that involve state secrets, personal privacy or as otherwise stipulated by law, according to the interpretation. The interpretation states that it sticks to the principle that all people are equal before the law. It details the distribution of evidential burden and establishes a time limit system for adducing evidence. The interpretation is expected to standardize procedures of cross examination that courts at various levels used to hear cases of state compensation.