IAPL: On the Lack of a Fair Judiciary in China: Reflections of a Criminal Defense Lawyer (One)

Li Jinxing , arguably one of the most prominent defense lawyers in today’s China, has dedicated much of his career to overturning wrongful convictions, a Sisyphean task in the People’s Republic. Over the past decade or so, he proved instrumental in reversing a series of wrongful convictions, including judgment on Nie Shubin , a twenty-year old migrant worker wrongfully executed for murder in 1995; he represented high-profile clients such as Wu Xiaohui  and also defended prominent dissidents such as Guo Feixiong. In 2019, he was disbarred by the Shandong Provincial Justice Department on spurious grounds. He has since been continuing his work as a legal consultant. Recently he has been posting a series of tweets on X, reflecting on his experience and struggle as a defense lawyer, China’s little-known group of “wronged people” , the state of judiciary, and the rule of law (or the absence of it). China Change will bring these reflections to you in serialized posts. Follow him on Twitter/X @lijinxinglvshi.  — The Editors

We should not allow ourselves to be discouraged, because that’s what makes the bad guys happy. It’s like climbing over a wall. No matter how high it is, if every person removes one brick, it’ll become passable. We envy people in other countries, but in fact, others have also paid a price for what they have. Sometimes I think we have still not paid a high enough price. Throughout human history, it’s never been such earth-shattering change ahead of us that will benefit so many people. We will have the fortune to be at this historic turning point and witness it — about this I have little doubt.

Although we have limited influence as ordinary individuals, we should not give up on doing the right thing. I have witnessed a large number of wrongful cases in the country, and at one point this made me extremely down and depressed. The tragic fates that countless people suffer saddens me terribly. Even if I could only tell them a few words of comfort, help them write a letter, or assist them in presenting their case, it would make me feel a little better. Who is to say that what we haven’t done is completely useless?

 

 

 

 

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On the Lack of a Fair Judiciary in China: Reflections of a Criminal Defense Lawyer (One)