China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) has banned prosecutors from a number of poor practices which leave room for corruption, Xinhua learned on Tuesday.

The 15-clause ruling, designed to ensure integrity in prosecutors' professional and personal lives, prohibits them enquiring about or interfering with cases being handled by other prosecutors, or interceding for parties concerned in the cases.

They have also been banned from meeting in private with parties concerned in cases or their lawyers, agents, claimants, relatives or stakeholders. Defendants must not be pressurized into accepting the prosecutors' own choice of lawyer, or into changing their lawyer.

The SPP urged heads of all departments in the procuratorates system to take the lead in abiding by the regulations. It also called on discipline organs to fulfil their responsibility in supervision and strictly punish all violations.