China approves changes to speed up 'emergency' laws

The Chinese parliament on Monday approved changes to a law that would allow it to pass emergency laws more quickly, Reuters reported citing Xinhua news agency reported, a move that analysts say could further erode public debate and scrutiny.

According to Reuters, the amendment to the Legislation Law, which governs how laws are enacted, gives the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, special powers to pass laws after just one review session.

However, the latest draft of the law did not define what constitutes an emergency situation.

The 170-member strong NPCSC is the parliament’s highest body.

It is an “important measure” to “further improve the quality and efficiency of legislation”, and an “inevitable requirement for strengthening the (ruling Communist) party’s overall leadership over legislative work”, Reuters quoted readouts from delegates’ meetings published during the annual parliamentary gathering, as saying.

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While approval of draft laws in China can take several months, there have been exceptions.

China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong that criminalised a broad range of vaguely defined offences intended to curb dissent.

Critics say that the law further undermined rights in the semiautonomous city.

With inputs from Reuters

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