Shanghai, China's main financial hub, initiated a pilot judicial reform program on July 13 to make judges more accountable while also curbing government intervention in court.

Pioneering China's judicial reform, the program will improve management and job security for judicial staff, increase the accountability of judges and unify the personnel and finance management of local courts, according to an office in charge of the reform.

In an effort to improve professionalism, a clear division will be set between judges and procurators, other judicial staff, and administrative personnel, who will be placed under separate management, according to the reform plan.

The reform also targets the decision-making power of the judicial council, limiting its use in complicated cases on which the collegial panel shows major splits.

The plan also requires the judges and procurators at district- or county-level courts to be nominated by provincial-level judicial authority. Funds of local courts will also come from the provincial, rather than the local finance.

China has been pushing for deeper judicial reform to address public complaints over issues regarding the impartiality and competence of courts.

On July 9, the Supreme People's Court published a guideline for judicial reform over the next five years. The guideline includes 45 major measures across eight key judicial issues such as personnel management as well as finances and judicial selection, most of which are included in the Shanghai reform plan.