Violence at home target of new law

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE could result in penalties as severe as the death sentence, according to a guideline jointly released by the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Justice on Wednesday. China's first law against domestic violence will be submitted for a reading in August, according to Fu Ying, spokeswoman of the 12th National People's Congress at Wednesday's news conference in Beijing. Comments:

Imperfect as it may be, the first law against domestic violence has absorbed the best suggestions that the country has come up with. A compulsory accountability mechanism for reporting home violence has been included in the law. Hence, should it be put into effect, promotion is needed to make sure that all resort to and activate every clause of it.

Zhang Rongli, an associate professor at China Women's University, Mar 3