The principle "punishment should not be given where there is doubt" has been strictly implemented by prosecutors and judges over the past five years to provide stronger protection of human rights and prevent judicial miscarriage.
From 2018 to 2022, some 211,000 people were not prosecuted because of insufficient evidence, up 69.4 percent compared with the previous five-year period, according to a work report from the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
A total of 4,772 defendants were determined to be not guilty by Chinese courts as evidence in their cases was not strong enough to prove their offenses, per a report from the Supreme People's Court.
Both reports were submitted to the ongoing first session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, on Tuesday afternoon for deliberation.
While correcting judicial miscarriage, courts across the country also stepped up efforts to prevent wrongful convictions by ensuring lawyers can provide a defense for the accused in all criminal cases.
In addition, rules regarding the State compensation have also been improved.