ACWF Holds Symposium on Study of China's Amended Constituti

The (ACWF) held a for women working in the legal profession on March 16, to help them learn more about the and its implementation.

Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the ACWF, who is also vice-president and first member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, chaired the event.

Representatives of group members of the ACWF and female legal scholars were also in attendance.

Participants at the conference agreed that the constitutional revision is a major decision made by the Central Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core. It adheres to and develops socialism with Chinese characteristics from overall situation and strategic heights in the new era.

The revision is a major initiative in advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity and promoting governance based on the law.

During the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC), the Amendment of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China (PRC) was adopted, which embodies the important theoretical viewpoints and major policies and principles defined in the 19th CPC National Congress, especially with regards to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

The amendment fully enshrines organic unity of upholding the party's leadership, the people being the masters of the country, and ruling the country according to law. It also reflects the organic unity between the party's claims and the people's will.

The amendment will surely provide a strong constitutional guarantee for adherence and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Hao Huizhen, Vice President of the Women Lawyer's Association of the All-China Lawyer's Association (ACLA), said lawyers are an important force in the Constitution's study and dissemination. Female lawyers must implement the constitutional spirit throughout all aspects of their daily work.

Nowadays, more and more female lawyers are responsible for the work of legal advisers in the government. They should be qualified for the review of constitutionality in regulatory documents and implement the constitutional spirit in specific cases.

Li Yanming, Secretary-General of China Women Judges Association (CWJA), said the association will earnestly study and implement the spirit of the constitution, and integrate its spirit into all of its work.

Members will strengthen the constitutional awareness, so they can truly perform their duty during the range of the Constitution and laws. Meanwhile, they will strive to build consensus with the spirit of the rule and law, safeguard social harmony with legal tools, properly resolve contradictions and disputes, and maintain social fairness and justice, she added.

The constitutional amendments enriched and improved the socialist procuratorial system with Chinese characteristics and provided more powerful legal protection for women's cause and female prosecutors' work, said Fu Kan, Secretary-General of China Women Procurator's Association (CWPA).

As a member of supervision organ in national law enforcement, the female prosecutor will firmly establish the "Four Consciousnesses" and continuously strengthen "Four self-confidences." Meanwhile, we will resolutely fight against with all unconstitutional acts, making it as a conscious action to observe Constitution for female prosecutors, she added.

Zhu Xiaoqin is President of the Beijing Women Procurators' Association and Deputy Procurator-General of the Beijing Procuratorate.

She said the Beijing Procuratorate and the Female Prosecutors Association will implement the constitutional amendment as a top priority and organize their staff to conduct multi-level, full-coverage learning and education activities.

Thus they will earnestly ensure an accurate understanding of the essence of amendments, and promote the publicity and implementation to practice the constitution with practical actions, she commented.

"As members of staff working in legal education, we need firmly believe and practice the constitutional spirit, being active advocates and communicators," said Lin Jianjun, a professor at China Women's College Law School.

The Constitution is a fundamental law for a country, so staff should raise their constitutional awareness, regardless of teaching or scientific research, she added.

Staff should also spread the concept of constitutional supremacy and respect for students and society, study the implementation of the constitutional spirit in each department law, and promote its implementation.

Qu Xiangfei is a researcher at the Institute of International Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a part-time deputy director-general of the Legal Department of the ACWF.

She believes that the establishment of the Constitution and Law Committee after the amendment provides institutional protection for legal policies involving its legality in the Constitution.

The revision of a sound socialist legal system into "a sound socialist rule of law" indicates that the practice of comprehensively implementing the rule of law has improved from a static legal system.

The constitution is now more focused on progressively building a country and society under the rule of law. The ACWF should and will strive to play a more important role in this great process, she added.

Chen Ping is Secretary-General of the Beijing Women Prosecutors Association. She said over 1,800 Beijing female prosecutors living in the new era sincerely support the constitutional revision and will take the lead in its study and compliance.

Prosecutors will also apply the constitutional spirit to specific tasks and judicial case-handling practices, defending the authority of the Constitution.

Chen Xuyun is an assistant judge of the Beijing Higher People's Court. Luo Lan is a judge of the People's Court of Beijing's in Dongcheng District.

With experience in trials, they believe that judges have a duty to study the Constitution's, adhere to it, and implement it.

No matter how large a caseload is, judges should also integrate the Constitution spirit into judicial practice, emphasize the unity of case trials and social effects, and make people feel fairness and justice in any judicial case.

Luo Lan also talked about her experience in teaching primary school students legal knowledge. She believes that it is making sense in cultivating a young citizen with constitutional consciousness in a new era.

This constitutional revision is a milestone in the development of the Constitution and national rejuvenation , Song said at the meeting.

As a people's organization under the leadership of the Party, ACWF bears an important responsibility in studying and publicizing the Constitution, safeguarding the authority of the Constitution, and fully implementing the Constitution.

The Women's Judges Association, the Women Prosecutors' Association, and the Women Lawyers' Association are all members of the federation, taking a part in its work.

She suggested that female legal workers should establish constitutional awareness, abide by the constitutional principles, promote the constitutional spirit, perform the constitutional mission. In addition, they should also serve as a model for studying the Constitution, adhering to the Constitution, being loyal to the Constitution, and safeguarding the Constitution.

Female judges, prosecutors, lawyers and female legal experts should take the initiative to spread the essence of the Constitution, explain the constitutional spirit, and make efforts to be an important force in promoting the Constitution, Song said.

(Source: Women Voice/ Translated and edited by)