Reforming the System

• The Repressive Framework of Religious Regulation in Xinjiang
  This excerpt from a joint report by Human Rights Watch and Human Rights in China outlines the laws that suppress the religious freedoms of Xinjiang's Uighur minority.
   
• Policemen are People, Too
  Guo Shaokun observes that police officers are often the victims of the same injustice they are accused of perpetrating.
   
• Reform of the Reeducation Through Labor System
  This HRIC brief explores the rationale and possible outcome of reforming a system routinely used to punish political and religious dissidents.
   
• The Perils of China's Lawyers
  In this interview with Epoch Times reporter Xin Fei, lawyer Mo Shaoping describes why defense lawyers are an endangered species in China.
   
• Who Controls China's Courts?
  Qiao Xinsheng describes the delicate balance of allegiance local courts must pay to the higher courts and their local authorities.
   

Burden of Proof

• Review of Procedure Laws Raises Hopes for Justice
  This HRIC brief examines procedural revisions that could help to reduce China's most egregious miscarriages of justice.
   
• "Resurrection" Exposes Confession under Torture
  Leng Wanbao looks at the case of She Xianglin, wrongfully imprisoned for the murder of his wife, who was later found alive.
   
• The Sanctity of Life and Legal Values
  Wang Yi calls for a rethink of capital punishment following the case of Nie Shubin, a man executed for a murder he did not commit.
   
• We are All Nie Shubin
  Cao Gen argues that China's legal system puts every citizen at risk of wrongful conviction.
   
• The Paradox of the "Perfect Conviction Rate"
  Genyuan suggests that the injustice resulting from conviction at all costs has reduced the motivation for people to obey the law.
   

Rule by Law

• On the Unjust Nature of Article 105
  Donghaisong highlights the need to bring China's laws on subversion in line with international standards.
   
• State Secrets and Omerta
  Zhang Yaojie argues that the prosecution of journalist Shi Tao imposes official secrecy on those not obliged to maintain it.
   
• Shi Tao's Appeal
  Shi Tao's legal arguments for overturning his ten-year sentence on charges of leaking state secrets.
   
• Peasants on the Verge
  Pu Wenzhong relates how local implementation of laws and regulations deprives China's rural residents of the justice they should enjoy under legal reforms.
   

Justice and June 4th

• Justice for June 4th Means Justice for All
  Xu Jianxin argues that justice over June 4th will require the effective participation of the overseas dissident community in ensuring justice for all in China.
   
• On Exile
  Hu Ping describes the hardships of exile that lie below an apparently comfortable existence.
   

Regular Features

• Off Topic: Fueling Ethnic Cleansing in Darfur
  Carol Wang examines China's complicity in human rights abuses in Sudan.
   
• Cultural Review: Viewing Hero: A Conversation about History, Art and Responsibility
  Sharon Hom and Hu Ping debate the deeper relevance of Zhang Yimou's controversial film.
   
• Resource List
  Internet Web sites relating to law and justice in China
   
• In Custody
  Lawyers Detained in China
   
• Prisoner Profile
  Shi Tao
   
• Action
  What you can do about the issues discussed
   
• Bulletin
  HRIC's activities in February-May 2005
   
• Incorporating Responsibility 2008 Campaign
  Update on construction and sponsors for the Beijing Olympic Games