The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, on Friday wrapped up its bimonthly session, passing two amendments on the Civil Procedure Law and a law on agro-technical popularization.
President Hu Jintao signed presidential decrees to formally declare the decisions.
Set to take effect from Jan. 1, 2013, the amended Civil Procedure Law is believed to further streamline the way civil disputes are dealt with and promote social stability and harmony.
According to the amendment, agencies or organizations determined by law can bring litigation against those whose acts undermine public welfare by polluting or infringing on consumers' interests.
It stipulates that judges should not accept gifts or treatment from any interested parties or their attorneys.
"The approval of the amendment is in accordance with the needs of economic and social development as well as the requirement for deepening judicial system reform," Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, said while presiding over the closing meeting.
Wu urged updating related regulations and judicial explanatory documents in a timely manner and making full efforts to publicize the amended law to ensure its effective enforcement.
The amendment to the Law on the Popularization of Agricultural Technology, to take effect from Jan. 1 next year, explicitly stipulates that the main principle for agro-technical popularization is to help the sustainable development of agriculture and the rural economy as well as to increase farmers' income.
All government-run agro-technical popularization institutions should observe their duties for public welfare by offering free agro-technical popularization services to agricultural workers and organizations, the amendment says.
According to Wu, the amendment, which offers more specifics and feasibility to the law, provides a vigorous legal guarantee to promote the utilization of agricultural techniques and push forward agricultural modernization and economic development in rural areas.
