Prosecutors at all levels have embraced public interest litigation

Prosecutors at all levels in China had instituted public interest litigation by November after amendments to laws last year allowed them to file civil and administrative lawsuits, the Supreme People's Procuratorate announced on Tuesday.

From January to November, procuratorates across the country handled 89,523 public interest lawsuits and filed 2,560 cases to the courts, the SPP said.

The number of cases being handled has grown rapidly, with the 32,345 public interest lawsuits handled in the third quarter of the year 45 percent more than the number handled in the first two quarters combined, Hu Weilie, a prosecutor from the top procuratorate, said.

Zhang Xueqiao, deputy chief procurator of the SPP, said public interest litigation has effectively protected the environment by recovering about 130,000 hectares of farmland, woodland, wetland and grassland, ensured food and drug safety for members of the public and helped recover direct economic losses of about 23.9 billion yuan ($3.47 billion).

He said the scope of protection had been expanded to the spiritual level since May, following the enactment of a new law that bans the slandering of heroes and martyrs.

Public interest litigation provided a systematic protection mechanism, enhanced the effectiveness of administrative law enforcement and judicial credibility, and was becoming better known by the authorities and masses, Zhang added.

"Prosecutors will continue to strengthen our ability in handling cases and increase the quality and effectiveness of case handling to make greater contributions to protecting national and public interests," he said.