Gang penalties: stick to the law

BEIJING - China is trying to standardize court procedure across the country in its crackdown on gangs and mafia-style crimes to see that trials and judgments are fair, in what experts say is a response to some inaccurate or false charges in the past.

Courts are being told to strictly follow the laws in such cases in deciding on the severity of each, according to a ruling from China's top court, which came over the weekend.

The Supreme People's Court also posted a statement on its website. The ruling states that, "arbitrary higher or lower judgments against suspects in such cases are not allowed."