The Supreme People's Court (SPC) is the highest trial organ in the country and exercises its power of trial independently. It is also the highest supervising organ over the trial practices of local people's courts and special people's courts at various levels. It reports its work to the National People's Congress and its Standing Committee. The power of appointment and removal of the president and vice presidents as well as members of the trial committee of the Supreme People's Court lies with the National People's Congress.

The Functions and Power of the Supreme People's Court ：

1. Conducting trial of the following cases: first-hearing cases placed with the Supreme People's Court (SPC) by laws and regulations and those the SPC deems within its jurisdiction; appeals or protests against trial decisions or verdicts of the higher people's courts and special people's courts; appeals against court judgments lodged by the Supreme People's Procuratorate according to trial supervision procedures.

2. Giving approval to death sentence. The Supreme People's Court (SPC) may, when necessary, delegate the power of approval for death sentences passed against offenders involved in serious cases of killing people, raping women, looting, destruction by using explosives and other cases which severely endanger and harm public security and social order.

3. Supervising the trials by local people's courts and special people's courts at different levels.

4. On discovering mistakes in the rulings and verdicts of local people's courts already being legally enforced, conducting questioning or appointing a lower level court to conduct re-hearing.

5. Giving approvals to verdicts on crimes not specifically stipulated in the criminal law.