Why China’s government is hushing up court rulings
Xi Jinping’s fresh attack on the rule of law
OVER THE past three decades China’s legal system has been gradually improving, albeit from a low base. The Communist Party still dominates the system: Xi Jinping, China’s leader, considers judicial independence a dangerous idea. Suspected criminals who end up in court are found guilty 99% of the time. But analysts reckon the quality of judges on the civil and commercial side has got better and corruption has decreased. The World Bank has a rule-of-law measure that uses indicators like property rights and judicial independence. In 2006 China was in the bottom third of countries. By 2022 it was in the top half.
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “A fresh attack on the rule of law”
From the January 20th 2024 edition
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