Readings of Typical Cases of Administrative Actions According to Law

Author: Cao Kangtai, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: On April 20, the State Council issued the "Outline for National Promotion of Rule of Law Administration." The "Outline" outlines 11 aspects of content, totaling 42 articles. The "Outline" explicitly states that it will take about a decade of persistent efforts to basically achieve the goal of building a rule-of-law government. The "Outline" specifically mentions the need to establish and improve decision-making tracking, feedback, and accountability mechanisms. It requires administrative organs to designate institutions and personnel to regularly track and provide feedback on the implementation of decisions, and to adjust and refine relevant decisions in a timely manner. It calls for strengthening supervision over decision-making activities, improving supervision systems and mechanisms for administrative decision-making, and clarifying the subjects, content, objects, procedures, and methods of supervision. It emphasizes that decision-making power and decision-making responsibility must be unified, and that a sound accountability system for decision-making should be established based on the principle of "who makes the decision, who is responsible." The "Outline" also stresses that the implementation of rule-of-law administration must ultimately be reflected in accountability for officials. Public opinion views this as indicating that the official accountability system initiated in China during the SARS crisis has moved from extraordinary measures to institutionalization. Rule-of-law administration will become an intrinsic and voluntary behavior for officials, and the operation of state power will enter a virtuous cycle.