Criminal Justice in Post-Mao China

Analysis and Documents

Edited by Shao-chuan Len & Hungdah Chiu

Subjects: Chinese Studies
Paperback : 9780873959506, 330 pages, June 1985
Hardcover : 9780873959490, 330 pages, June 1985

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Description

The post-Mao commitment to modernization, coupled with a general revulsion against the lawlessness of the Cultural Revolution, has led to a significant law reform movement in the People's Republic of China. China's current leadership seeks to restore order and morale, to attract domestic support and external assistance for its modernization program, and to provide a secure, orderly environment for economic development. It has taken a number of steps to strengthen its laws and judicial system, among which are the PRC's first substantive and procedural criminal codes.

This is the first book-length study of the most important area of Chinese law—the development, organization, and functioning of the criminal justice system in China today. It examines both the formal aspects of the criminal justice system—such as the court, the procuracy, lawyers, and criminal procedure—and the extrajudicial organs and sanctions that play important roles in the Chinese system. Based on published Chinese materials and personal interviews, the book is essential reading for persons interested in human rights and laws in China, as well as for those concerned with China's political system and economic development. The inclusion of selected documents and an extensive bibliography further enhance the value of the book.

Shao-Chuan Leng is Doherty Professor of Government at the University of Virginia. Hungdah Chiu is Professor of Law at the University of Maryland Law School. Both have published widely in the field of Chinese law and Leng made several research visits to China since 1979.