Courts must be prudent in cases on demolition

A RESIDENT IN WUHAN, Central China's Hubei province, filed a lawsuit against the local government claiming 30 million yuan ($4.64 million) in compensation for his house, which was to be demolished to make way for subway station. However, before the local court made its ruling, it allowed the government to demolish the house. That is against the rule of law, says Beijing News:

The court cited execution in advance of its ruling as the reason it allowed the demolition to go ahead before it announced its verdict on the claim for compensation. The problem is the execution of court decisions in advance is often used to defend the rights of citizens.

In 2011, the Supreme People's Court issued a guideline aimed at strictly controlling the use of execution in advance orders, particularly the demolitions of homes, in order to better protect the rights of citizens.