A key reform was his restoration of the Supreme Court's right of final review for capital punishment cases, which resulted in a sharp reduction in the number of executions in China after 2006.
[1] In 1962, Xiao taught at the Political Science and Law School of Xinjiang for a few months before returning to his home province of Guangdong to work in the government of Qujiang County of Shaoguan.
[2] In March 1998, Xiao was elected President (Chief Justice) of the Supreme People's Court, succeeding Ren Jianxin.
Provincial judges, many of whom were former police or military officers without formal legal training, often imposed overly harsh punishments.
[2][3] Xiao's proposal to reduce executions met significant opposition, as capital punishment enjoyed wide support both within the government and among the general public in China.
[5] With the implementation of Xiao's reform in 2007, the number of death sentences plunged by 30% in that year, and many cases were sent back to provincial courts for retrial.
[2] Another reform by Xiao was to professionalize China's rank of judges, who were formerly appointed like normal politicians, with little regard to their education and experience in law.