Reuters AlertNet Lite - China mulls laws on lawyers, information disclosure

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

China mulls laws on lawyers, information disclosure

24 Jun 2007 04:47:30 GMT
Source: Reuters

BEIJING, June 24 (Reuters) - China's legislature is considering drafts of laws that will require the government to provide accurate information on disasters, give lawyers greater access to their clients and improve energy efficiency, the Xinhua news agency said on Sunday.

The drafts were submitted to the National People's Congress standing committee which meets more frequently than the full Congress.

The draft emergency response law, which was first submitted in June 2006, prohibits any units or individuals from "fabricating or spreading false information regarding emergencies and government's efforts to cope with emergencies," Xinhua said.

But it requires that "people's governments which take charge of emergencies, should provide unified, accurate and timely information on the emergencies and its development," it said.

High profile cover-ups, including a 2005 benzene spill into the Songhua River which supplies the northeastern city of Harbin, have brought calls for greater transparency.

But whistle-blowers, newspapers and citizens who try to expose abuses and cover-ups are often silenced, harassed, fined or jailed. The first draft of the emergency response law included fines for news media that reported on emergencies without authorisation.

Xinhua did not say whether the fines were included in the latest draft.

Drafts can be submitted multiple times to seek consensus before being passed. For high-profile laws, a final version may be submitted to the full Congress, which gathers annually for a largely ceremonial passage of laws, for rubber-stamping.

The draft amendment to the Law on Lawyers would make it easier for lawyers to meet criminal suspects, obtain evidence, "improve their moral standard" and allow them to open individual law firms, Xinhua said.

A draft amendment to the Law on Conserving Energy would try to improve energy efficiency and cut polluting emissions.

Under the current five-year plan, China has pledged to cut its energy consumption per unit of GDP by 20 percent, or 4 percent each year. But consumption actually fell by just 1.23 percent in 2006.

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

Countries

Small country map
© 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.

Reset map

• China profile
· View map

MORE >>

NGO latest

• ACT Appeal: Assistance to Earthquake Affected, China-Ning'er County
ACT - Switzerland

• Severe Poverty in the UK
Save the Children - International Alliance

• Participating in the broader health agenda
International HIV/AIDS Alliance - UK

• ACT Alert: Rising Death Toll in South China Floods
ACT - Switzerland

• CWS appeal: China 2007 Earthquake Response
CWS

MORE >>

Latest news

• China mulls laws on lawyers, information disclosure

• Tourists injured in Shanghai river collision

• Paris meeting must press Darfur rebels to talk-China

• Hardline Pakistani students release Chinese women

• Bush to visit Japan in September - Kyodo

MORE >>

Last updated:Sun Jun 24 04:48:38 2007