CHINA DOUBLES NUMBER OF JUDGES REVIEWING DEATH SENTENCES

China's Supreme Court doubled the size of its death penalty review team to 100 judges to cope with a new law requiring the court to approve all executions, a news report said. The review requirement, enacted two days earlier, was due to come into effect on January 1 and put an end to the practice of allowing executions to be carried out on the order of lower courts. The 100 judges will staff three new criminal tribunals at the Supreme People's Court, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Many were recruited from local courts and have finished a three-month training course, Xinhua said. It said lawyers and law school professors also would be recruited for the tribunals.