Public interests increasingly being protected, SPP says

Procuratorates nationwide registered 169,000 public interest litigation cases last year, up 12.3 percent year-on-year, effectively protecting the interests of the state and the public, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said on Thursday.

The number of registered public interest litigation cases is rising, the adopted scope of public litigation supported by law is expanding, and the procuratorates are exploring new fields, according to the SPP, the nation's top procuratorate.

Procuratorates have focused on the protection of the environment and national resources, as well as food and drug safety, as cases in these fields accounted for 69.1 percent of the total registered.

Through handling the cases, about 28,700 hectares of damaged woodlands, arable lands, grasslands and wetlands and 32,000 hectares of polluted lands were recovered last year.

Procuratorates also sought 590 million yuan ($93 million) in compensation for environmental damage from polluting enterprises and individuals.

Furthermore, a cross-region jurisdictional system for public interest litigation involving major rivers and lakes has been formed, and 21 provincial regions along the Yangtze River Basin initiated a coordination mechanism to protect the environment.

In March 2021, the SPP, the Supreme People's Court, the China Consumers Association and other five departments jointly issued a document to promote the implementation of a punitive compensation system in food-related cases. Compensatory punishment could help deter potential lawbreakers, the document said.

The SPP also asked procuratorates to review procuratorial suggestions and judgments in public interest litigation cases to ensure the problems are resolved.