Shen Chunyao, director of the National People's Congress Standing Committee's Legal Affairs Commission, said on Monday that it is right time to abolish the re-education system for prostitutes and those caught using them.

Shen said relevant departments had reached a consensus on abolishing the system of re-education for prostitutes and their clients after investigation and research.

The re-education for prostitutes system is in accordance with an administrative regulation issued by the State Council in 1993 to curb prostitution. It stipulates that prostitutes and people who visit prostitutes can be detained for 6 months to 2 years without trial.

But this regulation goes against the Legislation Law issued in 2000, which stipulates that any compulsory detention or punishment that restricts personal freedom should be determined by law.

The abolition is in response to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China's decision that the legislature should enhance implementation and supervision of the Constitution and push forward constitutional compliance review.

Shen said the re-education system violates the relevant spirit of the Constitution. It violates the rule of law, and the relevant provisions of the legal system. In order to thoroughly implement the spirit of ruling the country according to law, the relevant departments should submit a proposal in due course for the system to be abolished.