Judges prostitution scandal tars judicial image

BEIJING - The Supreme People's Court (SPC) on Wednesday said the four Shanghai court officials involved in a prostitution scandal have tarred the image of the nation's judges and scarred judicial credibility.

The SPC ordered courts across the country to fight corruption and eliminate black sheep so that there are no similar events in future.

The three judges -- Chen Xueming, Zhao Minghua and Wang Guojun -- and discipline official Ni Zhengwen, all serving at the Shanghai Municipal Higher People's Court, fell from grace after a netizen released video footage that appears to show them soliciting prostitutes at the Hengshan Resort in Shanghai on the night of June 9.

The Shanghai municipal discipline commission and the Shanghai Municipal Higher People's Court on Tuesday expelled Zhao, Chen and Ni from the Communist Party of China and placed Wang on probation.

They have also suggested sacking the four officials pending approval from the city's legislature.

The SPC ordered all judiciaries to learn from the affair, be mindful of laws and disciplines, grow immune to temptations, and work in an impartial and clean manner.

It also required courts at all levels to strengthen internal supervision and improve judicial credibility.