The salaries of judges are low in comparison with many other jobs. Under this situation, the people's courts become more susceptible to the influences of the local governments. At the same time, the lack of resources and low salaries increase the incentive for corruption among judges. In fact, corruption of judges has aroused public concern in China. A significant event was the revision of the Criminal Procedural Law in 1996 to adopt a provision similar to the presumption of innocence and to increase the role of lawyers in defending the rights of the accused and the access for defendant lawyers to evidence and related materials, but there are still many problems in its implementation.
Confession is still the major basis for conviction.
The Five-year Reform Plan of the People's Courts promulgated in October 1999 aims to establish a fair, clean, and efficient judicial system and deals with some of the above problems. One of its major reforms is to increase the responsibility of the collegiate benches and independent judges in adjudication. According to the plan, except for those very important and difficult cases that should be submitted to the judicial committee for judgement, the collegiate benches and independent judges should determine all cases. The presidents of the people's court cannot change their judgements. This is a step forward.