A Glimpse of the Chinese Legal System

[Randy W]

When Calls for Revenge Overwhelm China’s Courts

 

Periodically, the Tans howled insults at Ms. Li’s two female defense lawyers: ‘‘You should be raped 500 times!’’ No one was thrown out for contempt of court. Ms. Li’s relatives sat quietly in a far corner at the back.

Everyone in China wants a better legal system, and the government has promised to provide it. But after decades of corruption, abuse of due process and politically motivated trials, respect for the law — for all authority, in fact — runs low. Pressure from a mob can swing decisions, with the authorities fearing social stability “incidents” that will reflect badly on them with their superiors.

The next day, in Chengdu, Wan Miaoyan, one of Ms. Li’s lawyers, said, smiling wryly: ‘‘You see from this the difficulties that China faces.’’