Defend the Law and Give Me Back My Right to File a Complaint

[Feng Zhenghu] In this article (CH), the Shanghai-based rights activist and law educator Feng Zhenghu (冯正虎) explains the importance of a citizen’s right to file a legal case and the urgency of the fight for this right. In early 2011, Feng complied and published “I Want to File a Complaint: A Collection of Judicial Inactions in Shanghai,” a four-volume collection of 430 cases filed by 190 complainants that were ignored by the courts. He states that some Shanghai residents are beginning to recognize the important function of the law in protecting their rights and are pursuing legal action instead of petitioning the government.