The Standing Committee of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC) deliberated 24 draft laws and law-related resolutions and adopted 15 of them since March 2006.

On Aug. 27, 2006, the NPC Standing Committee passed the country's Supervision Law to help lawmakers supervise the government.

Under the Supervision Law, the standing committees of people's congresses at and above the county level are authorized to repeal any inappropriate decisions or orders issued by governments at the same level.

The law also allows standing committees to summon government officials to explain their work and policies.

The NPC Standing Committee also passed the Corporate Bankruptcy Law last August, to provide protection to both creditors and workers of insolvent companies.

On Oct. 31, 2006, the NPC Standing Committee adopted the amendment to the Organic Law of the People's Courts to exert strict control over the use of death penalty.

The amendment ruled all death penalties imposed by provincial courts are required to be reviewed by the Supreme People's Court starting from Jan. 1 this year.

The Supreme People's Court would then review the evidence, laws and regulations application, measurement of penalty, and the litigation process in the previous trial and will hear the defendant either in person or by letters, before reaching the final decision.

The NPC Standing Committee members also adopted resolutions on Dec. 29 last year to submit the drafts of property law to the fifth full session of the national legislature for further deliberation.

In addition, the NPC standing Committee deliberated other law drafts including the draft of Labour Contract Law, and has passed amendments to the law on compulsory education, the banking supervision law, and the law on the protection of minors, and will hand in the draft of corporate tax law to the fifth full session of NPC for further deliberation.

A series of new laws and regulations including the Law on Specialized Peasants Cooperatives, the Passport Law, the law on farm produce quality safety, and the anti-money laundering law, were also passed by the NPC Standing Committee.

Editor: Yan