Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) leader Zhou Yongkang underscored the importance of the rule of law in the country on Tuesday.
Zhou, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when addressing the 6th congress of the China Law Society at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
President Hu Jintao, top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice President Xi Jinping also attended the session.
In his address to the congress, Zhou first expressed appreciation and respect to all Chinese law workers for their contribution to the country.
Zhou said building a country ruled by law has always been the pursuit of the Chinese people.
He said after China initiated its reform and opening up drive 30 years ago, the country has seen remarkable progress in the improvement of its legal system, law education and research.
The principle of rule of law is the premise of the development of China and the well-being of the Chinese people, he said.
Zhou encouraged law workers in China to make further contributions to the country by giving advice on the country's development and safeguarding people's livelihood, thus help the country maintain economic growth and social stability.
Law workers must bear the people-first principle in their minds and try to safeguard the interests of the people according to law, when making or enforcing laws, and when providing legal services.
He also called for law workers to continue to popularize law education among the Chinese public, so that the whole society is encouraged to learn the laws, abide by the laws and use the laws to protect themselves.
Local party and government departments must help address the difficulties of law workers in order to create a favorable environment for law education and research and cultivate more law talents, Zhou demanded.
The China Law Society was founded in 1949 as a national association of legal scholars, jurists, law practitioners and an academic body of legal sciences. The society has now more than 140,000 members.