President of the Constitutional Court Ineta Ziemele visits the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China

16.07.2018.

On 11 July, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia Ineta Ziemele met with the President of the Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China Zhou Qiang in Beijing, capital of mainland China. During the visit, presidents discussed the reforms in Chinese judicial system and the competences of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia in protecting fundamental rights and the division of power disputes. President Zhou Qiang was interested in the communication of the Constitutional Court with society, its strategies and forms.

The Supreme People’s Court of the People’s Republic of China was established in 22 October 1949. It is the highest level court in China that oversees the judicial process and the courts of lower instance. Hong Kong and Macao are special administrative regions where the judicial system is based on different tradition and is not subject to the Supreme People’s Court. But the National People’s Congress Constitution and Law Committee is responsible for constitutional control and the enforcement of the Chinese Constitution.

Interestingly, in China the symbol of the judicial system and justice is not the goddess of the ancient Greek mythology called Themis, like in Europe. In China symbol of justice is an imaginary animal called Xie Zhi. It symbolizes fairness, truthfulness, righteousness, as well as vigor.

Photo available here.

Satversmes tiesas priekšsēdētāja Ineta Ziemele tiekas ar Ķīnas Tautas Republikas Augstākās tiesas priekšsēdētāju Zhou Qiang. (Foto: Ķīnas Tautas Republikas Augstākā tiesa http://www.court.gov.cn/zixun-xiangqing-106761.html)