4. We strengthened oversight of judicial work.
In view of prominent problems hindering improvement of judicial competence at the primary level, we listened to and deliberated reports of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on strengthening primary-level courts and procuratorates. Members of the Standing Committee commended the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate for willingly accepting oversight by the NPC and actively improving their work, expressed the hope that courts and procuratorates at all levels would consolidate their existing achievements and further improve the primary-level legal infrastructure, and play a greater role in safeguarding social fairness and justice and maintaining social harmony and stability. The Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate attached great importance to the comments of the Standing Committee and they each held a conference to formulate measures for improvement, and stated that they would put a greater proportion of their energy and resources into primary-level courts and procuratorates, and strive to strengthen and improve the primary-level legal infrastructure.
We conducted special hearings in accordance with the law to strengthen the NPC's oversight of judicial work. We carried out special hearings on selected topics including construction of low-income housing, education reform and the central government's final accounts at group meetings and joint group meetings. Members of the Standing Committee conducted thorough investigations and studies, meticulously prepared in advance, and asked questions that were more insightful and pertinent. Leaders of the relevant State Council departments listened to comments with an open mind and realistically and truthfully answered questions. Major central media carried on-the-spot reports of these hearings, and they received a positive response from the general public. On the basis of experience in recent years, a set of mechanisms has gradually emerged for special hearings and their activities have become standardized, thereby effectively improving the work of those affected by them.