Supreme People's Court President Xiao Yang's latest call for justice and efficiency sounds like it will be a break from tradition by becoming more than just rhetoric. But not without a fight.

At a meeting of higher court presidents on Sunday, the top justice urged judges nationwide to wrap up all long-standing unresolved cases by November.

Aiming to build "judicature for the people,'' the Supreme People's Court will also introduce a series of measures later this year to regulate judges' performances, make sure litigants are better informed and tighten up the enforcement of court rulings, Xiao said.

The new measures are likely to help make the judicial authorities' work more just.

Hearing over 6 million cases a year, the court system is widely criticized for its poor efficiency and unjust judgments that occur at times.

The tardy work of many courts has led to unbearable costs in terms of time and money for litigants and worse still, prolonged custody of suspects in criminal (??) cases.

Despite the constant progress the judicial authorities are making, the performance of many local courts remains poor because of corruption or a lack of proficiency.

Xiao's deadline to sort out long-standing cases reflects a resolve of self-discipline which has rarely been seen in the past.

However, how far Xiao's reform can go will largely hinge on the court's handling of ties with local powers.

Funded by local governments, the court is vulnerable to administrative interference over trials and enforcement, which leads to criticism from the public.

The court's endeavour to change is an uphill battle to cut off the influence of certain power.

One encouraging sign is that there are gradually becoming more ways to rein in power in line with the top leadership's promise to use authority for the people and to have a greater respect for the law.

As administrative departments outline the limit of their power, the judicial authorities' aggressive move to enhance its role is well slated.

The subtle expansion of judicial power will advance the country's cultivation of the rule of law.

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