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A draft amendment to the nation's criminal procedural law, which came under fire for permitting detention without informing family in some cases, has added the principle of protecting human rights to its general provisions, a spokesman said. The draft amendment to the Criminal Procedural Law, which will be submitted for legislators' review during their annual plenary session, now includes a section on respecting and protecting human rights in the second article of its general provisions, which comprise the framework for the entire law, Li Zhaoxing, spokesman for the Fifth Plenary Session of the 11th National People's Congress, told a news conference on Sunday. Li said the amendment aims to facilitate investigation in a timely manner, protect the innocent from being accused and ensure suspects' rights of defense and appeal. Procedures stipulated in the bill "are aimed at ensuring people's freedom", so the draft follows the principle of protecting human rights, an important code in the Constitution, Li said. The Criminal Procedural Law, also known as the "mini-constitution", was introduced in 1979 and last amended in 1996. The law as it stands does not include the protection of human rights as an essential guideline, but "focuses more on cracking down on crimes and somehow has neglected procedural justice", said Chen Guangzhong, an expert on criminal procedure. "Human rights protection is a universal principle that applies to all, including criminals. Even those who have been sentenced to death have the right to dispose of their legitimate property and their human organs," he said. | 
