By Angela Hooks C’15
On Monday, April 21, Penn Law partnered with professors and researchers from Beijing’s Renmin University Law School to address vital areas of China’s legal development.
The symposium, which also included scholars from schools such as NYU Law and University of Wisconsin Law, tackled topics on criminal rights reform and legal education.
The program opened with a brief presentation on the creation and importance of Renmin University Law School’s annual comprehensive reports that look at the state of legal development within China. Zhu Lingwen, the principal editor of these reports, provided insight into the areas of legal development that are most influential and essential to the Chinese system in light of China’s fast economic growth.
“Issues that the emerging economy brings about include economic inequality, environmental pollution, and corruption,” Professor Lingwen said. Addressing these issues requires help from the legal system, which is being held accountable by Renmin University Law School’s annual reports.
The excitement of audience members who study China’s legal system, including Penn Law’s own Jacques deLisle, was palpable because of the chance to interact and learn from some of China’s top legal experts.
The State of Legal Development in China: Issues and Evidence #pennlaw pic.twitter.com/m5o8f8aVrO
— angela (@hooksangela) April 21, 2014
“In China, we need more good lawyers, and police officers, and prosecutors” -He Jiahong,Research Center of Wrongful Convictions #pennlaw
— Jillian Gutstein (@JillianGutstei1) April 21, 2014
“We collected more than 100 wrongful conviction cases happened between 1980 and 2005 in China…50 cases of murder.” -He Jiahong #pennlaw
— Jillian Gutstein (@JillianGutstei1) April 21, 2014
“Analyses of the causes [of wrongful conviction]: In 47 cases, 94% were due to false confession” -He Jiahong #pennlaw
— Jillian Gutstein (@JillianGutstei1) April 21, 2014
“In China, we have a lot of beautiful laws on paper. The problem is the gap between the law and paper.” -He Jiahong #pennlaw
— Jillian Gutstein (@JillianGutstei1) April 21, 2014
“In China, for the rule of law, we need strong defense lawyers”- He Jiahong #pennlaw
— Jillian Gutstein (@JillianGutstei1) April 21, 2014