Access to Justice in China

Transcript (PDF) (Text)

Despite a growing Chinese legal profession, average citizens still face significant political and economic problems in accessing the formal Chinese judicial system. As a result, Chinese citizens resort to a vast array of different tactics to resolve their grievances. These include mass petitions of government agencies, appeals to the media, and rural protests, in addition to more formal measures such as consultations with local justice bureaus or government-funded legal aid centers.

This Roundtable examined the various strategies pursued by Chinese citizens to seek true justice, analyzed their effectiveness, and assessed how they reflect on government efforts to manage mounting social tension.