Obtain proof fairly

Suspects arrested on criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty; that is the principle in theory. Yet, extracting confessions through torture undermines that tenet, since suspects would be presumed guilty.

Zhao Zuohai's is a case in point. Zhao was given death with a two-year reprieve, and he eventually stayed behind bars for 10 years for a crime he did not commit. Zhao's case is but one example, and points to the urgency of drafting detailed rules to prevent law enforcement officers from obtaining "confessions" using unlawful methods.

Thankfully, five departments of the State, including the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security have jointly released two documents over the weekend specifying regulations that will rule out unlawful evidence in a criminal trial.