On June 15, the top court designated the Second Circuit Court to retry the case.

Ding Hui, president of the law school at Liaoning Normal University, said: "I'm a mother as well. I fully understand Zhang when I saw her crying in the courtroom.

"Meanwhile, I applaud that justice was upheld by the top court. It is so important to fulfill the rule of law in our country."

Mo Hongxian, a law professor at Wuhan University, said the case is a milestone in Chinese criminal law research, adding that the top court highlighted the principle of no punishment for doubtful cases in Nie's case.

"The case could serve as a guide when judges tackle other similar cases," she said.

Both professors said that Nie's case also points to an urgent need to establish a mechanism to avoid wrongful convictions.

"How to ensure evidence is collected legally and verdicts are made without interference is also highly important," Ding said.

Timeline

? August 1994: Nie Shubin is arrested by police in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, for allegedly raping and killing a woman.

? March 1995: Nie is sentenced to death by Shijiazhuang Intermediate People's Court for homicide and rape. Nie later appeals to a higher court.

? April 27, 1995: Nie is executed after his appeal is rejected by Provincial High People's Court of Hebei.

? January 2005: Wang Shujin, a native of Hebei, is detained and charged with murder and rape in many other cases. Wang confesses that he is the culprit in Nie's case. Judicial departments in Hebei begin to reinvestigate Nie's case.

? March 2007: Wang is sentenced to death. The death penalty awaits final approval by the Supreme People's Court, the top court.

? September 2013: Provincial High People's Court of Hebei announces that there is no evidence suggesting Wang was the culprit in Nie's case.

? December, 2014: The top court designates Shandong Provincial High People's Court to reinvestigate Nie's case.

? June 15, 2016: The top court asks one of its branch courts, the Second Circuit Court, in Shenyang, Liaoning province, to retry Nie's case.

? Dec 2, 2016: Nie is pronounced innocent.