The National Human Rights Action Plan 2009–2010: the Chinese government’s attitude toward the new criminal procedure reform

Abstract

On 13 April 2009, China issued the National Human Rights Action Plan 2009–2010 for the first time, which reflected the Chinese government’s attitude toward the new criminal procedure reform. This plan brought some procedural rights of criminal procedure into the human rights scope, emphasizing the importance of procedural justice in criminal procedure. It paid more attention to the concept of the foundation of criminal procedure reform, thereby making for a special human rights education plan. Moreover, this plan showed that China respected the obligation of international treaties. Those new movements will undoubtedly promote criminal procedure reform in China. However, it is more important to start the coordination of different organizations to advance China’s law‐making process, to integrate the judicial resources, and to accelerate the education and popularization of advanced criminal procedures. Only through these steps can the plan avoid being simply talk and no action.