Metropolis pioneers innovations in local regulations, creating many firsts in legal system nationwide

Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, launched a campaign called the "rule-of-law show" in late October, singling out 10 eminent middle-aged and young jurists and another 10 eminent legal professionals through public appraisal.

The event drew attention nationwide with the organizer receiving 15.38 million votes.

The event not only showcased the major achievements the city has made in the rule of law since China began its reform and opening-up in 1978, but also encouraged jurists and legal professionals to do better and pool legal professionals of a high caliber for the city.

Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, is at the forefront of China in terms of rule of law. Photos Provided to China Daily

From left: A special division of Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court is dedicated to cases involving construction projects in the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. The "rule-of-law show" campaign is launched in Guangzhou in late October, which selects 10 eminent middle-aged and young jurists and another 10 eminent legal professionals through public appraisal.

"The rule-of-law show", which made its debut in 2018, and the selection of outstanding legal professionals are both firsts of their kinds in China, helping to enhance legal awareness among the public.

Guangzhou is a vanguard in the rule of law in China. It has trail-blazed rule-of-law practices ranging from legislation, administration, judicature, supervision, police service and public security to the promotion of law, setting up many examples of "Guangzhou experiences" for other cities to follow.

Legislation

As a provincial capital, Guangzhou was authorized to make regional regulations in 1986. The city became a pioneer over the past three decades, establishing a system and mechanism for making local regulations scientifically and democratically.

The city has issued 79 local regulations that are still in effect. Its regulation on law-based administration is the first on the Chinese mainland. Also, its regulation on categorization of household garbage made headlines in China's most influential media. Regulations on donations and public libraries have been used as models by many other cities and provinces in China.

The success stories of Guangzhou's legislation are attributable to the participation of local people by means including online broadcasts as well as through scientific approaches by virtue of Internet Plus and big data, experts said. Both endeavors are firsts in China.

One example is the online broadcast in 2017 of the regulation of parking lot construction and management. The standing committee of Guangzhou people's congress, the local legislature, telecast the on-the-spot debates live and opened online dialogue for four days, gaining 15.08 million clicks and 2.12 million votes from the public. The website received 369 million visits, official statistics indicate.

To ensure the high quality of legislation, Guangzhou has set up the nation's first smart legislation management system. Its operation and monitoring take place entirely online for the process of legislation, which includes: smart search and text comparisons of laws and regulations, real-time release of legislation news, smart statistics and analysis of regional regulations as well as seeking public opinions.

Guangzhou also hinges heavily on internet portals and social media platforms for public feedback before those regulations closely concerned with citizens are planned.