The bi-monthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) adopted a resolution to abolish legal documents on "laojiao" (reeducation through labor) on Saturday.

The resolution stresses that all legal laojiao penalties before the abolition of the system remained valid. After abolition, those still serving laojiao time will be set free. Their remaining terms will not be enforced.

The resolution goes into effect Saturday.

The resolution nullifies a 1957 State Council decision on reeducation through labor, and a 1957 NPC Standing Committee resolution to adopt the State Council decision, likewise supplementary regulations from 1979.

Reeducation through labor dealt with minor offenders whose crimes did not warrant full court proceedings. It allowed detention for up to four years without an open trial.

Yang Huanning, vice minister of public security previously stated that amendments to the Criminal Law and new laws on public security and drugs had gradually rendered laojiao redundant.

The historical mission of laojiao has been completed.