Standing Committee of the National People's Congress
Encyclopedia
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC; ) is a committee of about 150 members of the National People's Congress
(NPC) of the People's Republic of China
(PRC), which is convened between plenary sessions of the NPC. It has the constitutional authority to modify legislation within limits set by the NPC, and thus acts as a de facto legislative body. It is led by a Chairman, China's top legislator, who is conventionally ranked third in China's political ranking system
, after the General Secretary and President, which is usually one person. The current Chairman is Wu Bangguo
.
The NPCSC also has the power to interpret the laws of the PRC, including its constitution. In contrast to other countries in which stare decisis
gives the power of both final interpretation and adjudication to a supreme court
, within the People's Republic of China constitutional and legal interpretation is considered to be a legislative activity rather than a judicial one, and the functions are split so that the NPCSC provides legal interpretations while the Supreme People's Court and the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region actually decide cases. Because an interpretation of the NPCSC is legislative in nature and not judicial, it does not affect cases which have already been decided.
A notable use of the latter power occurred in 1999 during the dispute of the Right of Abode issue
in the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region. In the case, the NPCSC interpreted the Basic Law of Hong Kong
in accordance with the position taken by the Hong Kong government with respect to the eligibility of permanent residency in Hong Kong.
of congress
.
National People's Congress
The National People's Congress , abbreviated NPC , is the highest state body and the only legislative house in the People's Republic of China. The National People's Congress is held in the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, capital of the People's Republic of China; with 2,987 members, it is the...
(NPC) of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(PRC), which is convened between plenary sessions of the NPC. It has the constitutional authority to modify legislation within limits set by the NPC, and thus acts as a de facto legislative body. It is led by a Chairman, China's top legislator, who is conventionally ranked third in China's political ranking system
Political position ranking of the People's Republic of China
The political ranking of the People's Republic of China is the ranking of political leaders in China, by order of presumed political power. Although there is no formally published ranking, there is usually an established convention and protocol, and the relative positions of Chinese political...
, after the General Secretary and President, which is usually one person. The current Chairman is Wu Bangguo
Wu Bangguo
Wu Bangguo is a high-ranking politician in the People's Republic of China. He is currently Chairman and Party secretary of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, a position that makes him China's chief legislator...
.
The NPCSC also has the power to interpret the laws of the PRC, including its constitution. In contrast to other countries in which stare decisis
Stare decisis
Stare decisis is a legal principle by which judges are obliged to respect the precedents established by prior decisions...
gives the power of both final interpretation and adjudication to a supreme court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
, within the People's Republic of China constitutional and legal interpretation is considered to be a legislative activity rather than a judicial one, and the functions are split so that the NPCSC provides legal interpretations while the Supreme People's Court and the Court of Final Appeal of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region actually decide cases. Because an interpretation of the NPCSC is legislative in nature and not judicial, it does not affect cases which have already been decided.
A notable use of the latter power occurred in 1999 during the dispute of the Right of Abode issue
Right of abode issue, Hong Kong
The right of abode in Hong Kong is the right to legally reside in Hong Kong and was governed by rules both under British and Chinese administration. As the People's Republic of China stood to resume sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, the nationality of Hong Kongers as well as their right of abode...
in the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
Special Administrative Region. In the case, the NPCSC interpreted the Basic Law of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Basic Law
The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, or simply Hong Kong Basic Law, serves as the constitutional document of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China...
in accordance with the position taken by the Hong Kong government with respect to the eligibility of permanent residency in Hong Kong.
Leading members
- Chairman (Speaker):
- Wu BangguoWu BangguoWu Bangguo is a high-ranking politician in the People's Republic of China. He is currently Chairman and Party secretary of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, a position that makes him China's chief legislator...
- Wu Bangguo
- Vice Chairpersons:
- Wang ZhaoguoWang ZhaoguoWang Zhaoguo is a Chinese politician who came to prominence during the era of Deng Xiaoping. At age 41 he had already acquired a ministerial position job.-Biography:...
- Lu YongxiangLu YongxiangLu Yongxiang , aka Yung-Hsiang Lu, was President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences until March 2011.-Biography:Lu studied in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Zhejiang University, and majored at hydrodynamics . He graduated from Zhejiang University in 1964, and became a lecturer in his...
- UyunqimgUyunqimgUyunqimg is the highest-ranking ethnic Mongolian official and second-highest ranking female official in the People's Republic of China...
- Han QideHan QideHan Qide , is a prominent politician and medical scientist of the People's Republic of China....
- Hua JianminHua JianminHua Jianmin currently serves as one of the vice chairmen of the standing committee of the 11th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China...
- Chen ZhiliChen ZhiliChen Zhili is a senior female politician of the People's Republic of China, and the former State Councilor and Minister of Education of PRC. She currently serves as vice chairman of stading committee of 11th National People's Congress, vice chairman of organization commission of 29th Olympic...
- Zhou TienongZhou TienongZhou Tienong . In 1955 he began studying at the Peking University. During 1990s Zhou advanced politically, and now he is a Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress....
- Li JianguoLi JianguoLi Jianguo is a politician of the People's Republic of China, and former Party chief of Shaanxi and Shandong Provinces...
- Ismail TiliwaldiIsmail TiliwaldiIsmail Tiliwaldi was the chairman of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China from 2003 to 2007 and is currently a Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress....
- Jiang ShushengJiang ShushengJiang Shusheng is a Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.-References:Attendance at Sino-Ecuadorian Relations Banquet in late 2009 :...
- Chen ChangzhiChen ChangzhiChen Changzhi is a Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China.-References:...
- Yan JunqiYan JunqiYan Junqi is currently the vice chairwoman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress of China, and the chairwoman of China Association for Promoting Democracy...
- Sang GuoweiSang GuoweiSang Guowei is a Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.-References:...
- Wang Zhaoguo
Chairmen of the Standing Committee
The Chairman of the NPC is the presiding officer of the legislative body, a position that is similar but not entirely analogous to that of a speakerSpeaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of congress
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different nations, constituent states, independent organizations , or groups....
.
See also
- Presidium of the Supreme SovietPresidium of the Supreme SovietThe Presidium of the Supreme Soviet was a Soviet governmental institution – a permanent body of the Supreme Soviets . This body was of the all-Union level , as well as in all Soviet republics and autonomous republics...
, a Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
institution, after which Standing Committee of the NPC was modelled.