87 pct of criminal cases handled with leniency after guilty plea: White paper

BEIJING -- Nearly 87 percent of the criminal cases were treated with leniency after the accused pled guilty in China in 2020, according to a white paper released Thursday.

The white paper on the practice of the Communist Party of China in respecting and protecting human rights was released by the State Council Information Office.

China has improved criminal proceedings and standardized the system of showing leniency to suspects and defendants who confess to their crimes, according to the white paper.

It has improved a fast-track sentencing procedure for criminal cases and further separated the handling of simple and complex cases to punish those found guilty promptly in accordance with the law and to protect human rights, the document said.