Govt to push legitimacy review of administrative documents

Making regulatory documents is an important function of administrative organs granted by law. And to conduct reviews on those documents is imperative to ensure their legitimacy and effectiveness, in order to guarantee the interest of citizens, legal persons, and other organizations, according to a circular issued by the State Council.

The circular provides some instruction over pushing forward a review mechanism for regulatory documents, which requires determining the scope, subjects, procedures, functions and responsibilities of the review.

The organs undertaking the review work are allowed to adopt various means to improve quality and efficiency, such as soliciting opinions via symposiums, when there are difficult legal issues in reviewing influential documents, the circular said.

Information technologies are encouraged in establishing the review mechanism, such as setting up a management information platform with a unified review standard and data sharing functions.

Government departments nationwide should fully recognize the importance of promoting the review on regulatory documents and carry out the review work industriously. A special department should be set up or designated for the review. They are also required to include the review in their evaluation systems for advancing law-based governance.

Supervision will also be enhanced, according to the circular. The Ministry of Justice will take charge of organizing, coordinating, propelling and giving guidance, and governments in each region can report their implementation of the circular and related issues to the ministry.