Former vice-president of China's top court sentenced to 15 years in prison

Shen Deyong, former vice-president of China's Supreme People's Court, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 6 million yuan ($836,173) for taking bribes of about 64.56 million yuan.

The Ningbo Intermediate People's Court in Zhejiang province heard his case in May and issued the verdict on Friday. It didn't reveal whether Shen will appeal or not.

Shen's bribes' proceeds and assets seized shall be recovered and handed over to the State treasury, and the insufficient assets shall be continued to be recovered, said the court.

From 1995 to March 2022, Shen took advantage of his positions, including as vice-president of the High People's Court of Jiangxi province, vice-president of China's top court, a member of the Standing Committee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China, and head of the Committee on Social and Legal Affairs of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, to assist individuals and companies in case handling, job promotion and contracting projects.

Then Shen, directly and through relatives, received cash, gold products, vehicles and other properties, totalling 64.56 million yuan.

Shen's acts have committed the crime of taking bribes, receiving a large amount. He confessed his criminal acts including those that hadn't been known by investigators and revealed the crimes of others, and most of the involved illicit gains have been recovered, leading to meritorious performance, said the court.

However, in view of the fact that Shen has long held an important position in the Supreme People's Court, as a law enforcer, he violated the law, interfered with judicial activities and the promotion and adjustment of cadres, seriously damaging the image of the judiciary and causing a negative social impact. Thus, he is not worthy of a lenient punishment, said the court.

A native of Jiangxi, 69-year-old Shen joined the Party in 1972 and started his career in 1977. As a law school graduate, he had been engaged in the country's judicial system for many years.

He served as the vice-president of the Supreme People's Court twice, from December 1998 to November 2006 and again from April 2008 to June 2018.

He served as the head of the Committee on Social and Legal Affairs of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC from June 2018 to June 2022.

Shen was subject to investigation in March 2022, removed from his public post in June, and expelled from the Party in September.

The Supreme People's Procuratorate approved the arrest of him in September. Ningbo People's Procuratorate was tasked to review this case and initiated a public lawsuit against him in December.