Senior judges return to the bench

More court presidents and chief judges are picking up their gavels again in a move to improve the quality of case hearings, China's top court said on Monday.

In the past, their roles have largely focused on court management or administrative affairs, attending meetings or conducting research, "but they have been asked to go back to the courtrooms to hear cases as part of judicial reform", said Xu Jiaxin, director of the Political Department at the Supreme People's Court.

Their return, initiated by a reform put forward by the central leadership in 2013, requires senior judges to play a bigger role in improving efficiency and alleviating the pressure brought on by the rapidly increasing number of disputes, he said.