Fengxian procurators make good use of public interest litigations

Fengxian procurators have used public interest litigations to help residents enjoy a better life, this was revealed at a press conference held by the suburban district's procuratorate on Monday.

The procurators have focused on problems relating to the biological environment, food safety, public security, preservation of historic structures as well as protection of people's personal information.

In one typical case they talked about at the press conference, procurators used a smart online system monitor in February to find that a polluted river near a residential complex was badly affecting nearby residents' life.

After an investigation, they authorized a third-party institution to confirm the degree of pollution in the river and issued prosecutorial suggestions to the local government. Now the quality of the river water has improved, meeting all relevant standards, the procurators said.

In another typical case, procurators investigated and shut down a pig slaughterhouse which bred and sold unquarantined pork. The slaughterhouse owners were given administrative penalty.

Also, an old bridge, dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), has been saved and listed as the district's cultural relic after procurators made prosecutorial suggestions to relevant local departments.

Fengxian procurators have filed 120 public interest cases and issued a total of 60 procurators' recommendations so far this year.

The district procuratorate has also invited people supervisors to participate in supervising all aspects of the case-handling process to further ensure judicial fairness during their work.

The people's supervisor system is designed for procuratorial organs to accept public supervision and to ensure orderly participation of people in the justice process.