Legal knowledge

According to reports, the number of newly accepted drug crime cases in courts nationwide has significantly increased since 2013 compared to the same period in previous years. Statistics show that in 2013, courts nationwide newly accepted 97,225 drug crime cases, a year-on-year increase of 26.40%; 95,216 cases were concluded, a year-on-year increase of 24.82%; 99,486 criminals were sentenced and the judgment took legal effect, a year-on-year increase of 22.78%, among which 21,962 were sentenced to five years or more of fixed-term imprisonment, life imprisonment, or death penalty, a year-on-year increase of 7.28%.

From January to May 2014, courts nationwide newly accepted 43,180 drug crime cases, a year-on-year increase of 30.19%; 37,186 cases were concluded, a year-on-year increase of 31.15%; 39,762 criminals were sentenced and the judgment took legal effect, a year-on-year increase of 27.38%, among which 9,168 were sentenced to five years or more of fixed-term imprisonment, life imprisonment, or death penalty, a year-on-year increase of 23.21%. To cooperate with the special campaign against drug abuse, people's courts at all levels concentrated their efforts on the adjudication of accepted drug crime cases in a timely and lawful manner. Those who should be given heavy sentences were given heavy sentences, effectively deterring drug criminals and curbing the high incidence of drug crime, thus safeguarding the lives, safety, and physical and mental health of the people.

In the adjudication of drug crime cases, people's courts at all levels earnestly implemented the criminal policy of combining leniency with severity, adhering to overall strictness while emphasizing the crackdown. The rate of heavy sentences in drug crime cases has been higher than that of all criminal cases for many years. In 2013, the rate of heavy sentences in drug crime cases was 22.08%, and from January to May 2014, it was 23.06%, exceeding the rate of heavy sentences in all criminal cases during the same period by 11.29 and 13.85 percentage points respectively. Serious drug crimes and drug lords, professional drug offenders, recidivists, and repeat drug offenders, whose subjective malice is deep and whose personal danger is high, are severely punished according to law. Those who should be given heavy sentences are resolutely given heavy sentences, and those who meet the conditions for the death penalty are sentenced to death according to law.

People's courts, for drug crime cases submitted for death penalty review, resolutely approve the death penalty according to law for those who meet the conditions for the death penalty, ensuring that the death penalty is applied to drug criminals whose crimes are extremely serious. At the same time, based on the basic principle of the criminal law that punishment should fit the crime, the adjudication process distinguishes cases based on specific circumstances, achieving a balance between leniency and severity, and ensuring that the punishment fits the crime. For defendants whose crimes are less serious, or who have surrendered themselves, rendered meritorious service, or are accomplices, etc., lenient punishment is given according to law, in order to disintegrate drug criminals and prevent and reduce drug crime.