Fourth plenary session of the 18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party

On July 29, at a meeting of the Politburo chaired by Xi Jinping, it was decided that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CCP Central Committee would be held in October this year.^[1] The main agenda of the plenary session was to study major issues concerning the comprehensive advancement of the rule of law. On the same day, Xinhua News Agency released the "Notice of the CCP Central Committee on the Investigation of Zhou Yongkang". At the meeting of the Politburo held on September 30, the specific date of the Fourth Plenary Session was determined to be October 20 to 23.^[2]

• Optimize the allocation of judicial powers and explore the establishment of people's courts and people's procuratorates across administrative divisions.
• Improve the decision-making mechanism based on the law, and propose the establishment of a lifelong accountability and responsibility tracing mechanism for major decisions.
• Incorporate the effectiveness of the rule of law construction into the performance evaluation index system.
• Improve the constitutional supervision system of the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee.
• Establish a system for reporting and holding accountable leading officials who interfere with judicial affairs.^[3]

• National Constitution Day and constitutional oath system.
• The Supreme People's Court establishes circuit courts.
• Explore the establishment of people's courts and people's procuratorates across administrative divisions.
• Explore the establishment of a system for procuratorates to initiate public interest litigation.
• Implement a lifelong responsibility system for case handling quality and a system of accountability for tracing the responsibility for wrong cases.^[3]

• The plenary session confirmed the previous decision of the Politburo to expel Li Dongsheng, Jiang Jiemin, Yang Jinshan, Wang Yongchun, Li Chuncheng and Wan Qingliang from the Party.^[4]
• In accordance with the provisions of the Party Constitution, the plenary session decided to appoint alternate members Ma Jiantang, Wang Zuo'an and Mao Wanchun as members of the Central Committee.^[4]