简介:BackinAugust2004,theStand-ingCommitteeoftheNationalPeople'sCongress,thehighestlegislatureofChina,publishedtheDecisiononImprovingthePeople'sAssessorSystem(hereinafterreferredtoastheDecision).SinceitbecameeffectiveonMay1,2005,theDecisionhasprovedimportanttoensuringtherightofcitizenstoparticipateinactivitiesofadjudi-cationinaccordancewiththelaw.Ithashelpedexpandjudicialdemocracyandsafe-guardthelegitimaterightsandinterestsofthelitigantparties.