BEIJING -- The Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP), China's top procuratorate, announced Tuesday that it has established an investigation department targeting unlawful judicial practices.

The department will handle cases where judicial officers take advantage of their functions and engage in practices that infringe upon the rights of citizens and undermine justice, such as illegal detention, illegal search activities, and extorting confession by torture.

The department will also investigate major crimes committed by state functionaries who take advantage of their functions and powers, and which are under the jurisdiction of public security organs.

The SPP noted that the department was established to better ensure judicial justice and deliver due punishment to those who abuse judicial power. Similar investigation branches have already been set up at 28 provincial-level procuratorates and several prefectural-level procuratorates.