Judges and other court employees could lose their jobs or face criminal charges if they take gifts from parties involved in cases they are handling, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said yesterday.

Personnel are also forbidden from having any kind of commercial relationship with lawyers, or attempting to influence cases being handled by other judges, it said in a statement.

Court staff must not show favoritism when ruling on cases, especially those involving appraisals and auctions, and are forbidden from leaking details of trials, it said.

Ni Shouming, a spokesman for the SPC, said at a press conference: "Violators will be given disciplinary punishments and in some cases held criminally liable.

"They could also be removed from their posts."

To ensure the new orders are followed, all courts will be put under comprehensive supervision, the statement said.

Also, 24-hour hotlines have been set up for people to report violators.

While there have been only a small number of this kind of violation in the past, those that were discovered caused significant damage to the image and reputation of the nation's courts and judges, Ni told China Daily at the press conference.

"Such practices are of real concern, and are the things that ordinary people most worry about," he said.

Ren Jin, a law professor with the National School of Administration, said the statement was issued in response to the graft case involving former SPC vice-president Huang Songyou and reflects the authorities' resolution to combat corruption in the legal system.

Huang, who is suspected of taking bribes totaling almost 400 million yuan ($59 million) relating to an auction case, has been under investigation since October. He is one of the highest-ranking judicial officers ever to be sacked by the central government.

Qiu Baochang, dean of the Beijing-based Huijia law firm, said the announcement is a clear warning to court officials.

"But for it to be effective, the graft-busters must take the information provided to them via the hotlines very seriously, and ensure violators are appropriately punished," he said.

Questions:

1. Who said yesterday that judges and other court employees could lose their jobs or face criminal charges if they take gifts from parties involved in cases they are handling?

2. To ensure the new orders are followed, what two measures have been taken?

Answers:

1. The Supreme People's Court (SPC).

2. All courts will be put under comprehensive supervision, and 24-hour hotlines have been set up for people to report violators.