China's top legislature adopted Saturday the nullification of eight laws, including one covering police stations that dates back to 1954, as part of an effort to eliminate redundant, contradictory and obsolete laws.

The laws include those covering police stations, urban neighborhood offices, the use of state-owned wasteland and barren hills by overseas Chinese and the establishment of schools with donations by overseas Chinese.

The laws are among the first package suggested to be abolished in more than two decades.

These laws were "not applicable to the current economic and social development, especially to the needs of a socialist market economy," said Li Shishi, director of the Commission for Legislative Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee, while briefing lawmakers on Monday.

The top legislature started streamlining laws last July and "has offered 1,972 clearing-up advisories about more than 200 laws," Li said.

As of June 26, 2008, China had 229 laws, with categories including the Constitution, civil and commercial law, administrative and economic law and criminal law, among others.

"Some laws are not consistent with each other, while some laws are not feasible or are hard to enforce through state power," Li said.

The ninth session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) closed its six-day, bi-monthly session on Saturday.

Source: Xinhua