“The Road Leading to Independent Trial in China”
Zhiwei Tong
Professor of law
East China University of Political Science and Law
12:15-1:20 p.m., Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Room E, 1111 East 60th Street.
The Chinese Constitution (Art. 126) prescribes: “The people’s courts shall, in accordance with the law, exercise judicial power independently and are not subject to interference by administrative organs, public organizations or individuals.” For decades, how has this provision of the Constitution been enforced? And how to “ensure that judicial bodies exercises their judicial powers fairly and independently”? Professor Zhiwei Tong will discuss some fundamental issues in the reform of the Chinese judicial system, such as the reasons the Chinese judicial system lacks the necessary authoritativeness; the de facto position of a court in the pyramid-like hierarchy of the unified State-Party structure; the reasons China’s justice has no sufficient credibility and what can and cannot be changed in China’s judicial reform; could the courts or judges be tolerated holding a neutral position? Professor Tong will give his assessment of the current project designed for judicial reform in China and discuss the prospects of the reform.
This event is sponsored by the University of Chicago Law School International Programs, the China Law Society, and the East Asia Workshop. This event is free and open to the public, but seating may be limited. Please contact Aican Nguyen at aican@uchicago.edu with any questions or concerns.