Court sets good example on filial duties

CHONGYANG FESTIVAL, a day for senior citzens in the country, was celebrated on Wednesday. Suzhou Intermediate People's Court in Jiangsu province, East China, issued a new judicial document on protecting senior citizens' legal rights, in which it said those failing to care for their parents' emotional needs might lose some of their inheritance. Comments:

Some say that the document issued by Suzhou court is not a law and cannot be directly quoted to punish those breaking the principle. Actually, the judicial document unambiguously shows the attitude of the judiciary in Suzhou on the issue, namely that people need to care for their parents' emotional needs. That's a kind of legal support to parents who suffer from a lack of support from their children and encourages them to defend their rights.

Xu Mingxuan, a Beijing-based lawyer, Oct 21