Acquitting a man of killing children in Fujian province reflects a "law spirit" and has increased the public’s expectation and confidence in the justice, said Ma Xinlan, president of the Fujian High People's Court on March 12.

Nian Bin, 38, from Pingtan county, was arrested in 2006 after two of his neighbors died from poisoning after having dinner. Police considered him a suspect in the case because he was not on good terms with the victims' family.

In February 2008, Nian was sentenced to death by the intermediate court in Fuzhou, and his appeal to the provincial high court was unsuccessful.

He was sentenced to death four times - three times by the intermediate court and once by the high people's court - until he was released in August of this year after the Fujian provincial high court declared him innocent, citing insufficient evidence.

The acquittal of Nian was mentioned in a Supreme People's Court work report during an on going annual session of the 12th National People’s Congress (NPC) on March 12 as an example of judicial progress.

Ma, with other Fujian’s NPC deputies, echoed the sentiment of the report, saying it is a milestone in China’s judicial review history.

The Fuzhou Intermediate Court on Feb 15 also ruled that Nian would receive 1.14 million yuan ($186,000) of compensation from the state for loss of personal freedom and mental sufferings.