China's top legislature opens bi-monthly session

A bi-monthly session of China's top legislature opened on Monday with bills on administrative procedure, reeducation through labor and the one-child policy on the table. Zhang Dejiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), presided over the opening meeting of the session, which runs from Monday through Saturday. A draft amendment to the Administrative Procedure Law was submitted to the session, the changes since the law went into effect in October 1990. The bill is expected to make it easier for citizens to take the government to court, tackling issues in filing a case, hearings and enforcement of verdicts favoring citizens. The State Council, China's cabinet, sponsored two bills: one to abolish the "laojiao" program of reeducation through labor, and another to adjust the family planning policy. Two State Council regulations on reeducation through labor, one adopted in 1957 and a supplement approved in 1979, are to be scrapped. The bill holds that constant improvement to the legal system has made laojiao superfluous to the nations current legal setup. Once laojiao is abolished, relevant laws, judicial interpretations and documents will be adjusted accordingly. The State Council will organize departments to administer the annulment of the system, including setting free those still in labor camps, reassigning police in charge of laojiao and changing the function of locations to other purposes. The family planning bill seeks to allow couples to have a second child if one parent is an only child. The State Council argued the need to adjust the family planning policy in the face of a steadily declining birth rate and changing demographic structure. It suggested that provincial people's congresses and their standing committees amend local family planning regulations or adopt special measures after careful evaluation of local demographic situations and risks of policy changes. Lawmakers also started to review bills on amending the law on protection of military facilities, as well as revising seven laws to streamline business administration. Reports on the implementation of laws on administrative reconsideration and compulsory education were also tabled for review.