[JURIST] Prosecutors in China on Tuesday announced that they will be investigating former China Supreme Court justice Xi Xiaoming on corruption charges. The former vice president of the Supreme People’s Court has already been fired [AP report] from all of the public positions he held and has had his membership in the ruling Communist Party revoked. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection has accused Xiaoming of several crimes, including illegally accepting public funds and leaking trial information. The investigation [Reuters report] into the former justice began in July for “serious violations of discipline and laws,” a phrase commonly used for corruption in China.

The Chinese government has worked in recent years to reform its judicial system and combat corruption. In June China’s anti-corruption Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) announced the launch [JURIST report] of investigations into 26 government agencies and state-owned enterprises. The CCDI inspections have resulted [Reuters report] in lost positions by 70 senior officials of state firms in 2014. Earlier that month China’s ex-security chief Zhou Yongkang was sentenced [JURIST report] to life imprisonment for corruption after being found guilty of bribery, abuse of power and intentionally disclosing national secrets. In March officials announced that efforts against corruption have led to the investigation and conviction of 14 generals [JURIST report] for corrupt financial practices. In February Chinese officials announced the impending prosecution [JURIST report] of Su Rong, former vice chairman of China’s top parliamentary advisory board, for graft.