Lubman’s Latest Article: Will the Internet Advance Chinese law reform?

Lubman introduces his latest article ..writing “Social pressure expressed via the Internet and other social media is energizing citizen protests against violations of Chinese law and creating pressure for legal reform, especially at the local level.”


Here’s his introduction

The full article can be accessed at? http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/02/16/will-the-internet-advance-chinese-law-reform/

But it will remain considerably more difficult for the Internet to become an effective medium for successful pressure for legal reform beyond individual cases. Internet publicity of cases of illegality, such as corruption, is useful to the government ? as long as the conduct involved is limited to the local level and government policy is not involved. Also, complaints have to be filtered through the government?s close control over the Internet. The rise of Internet protests in China does not at this moment seem to foretell the birth of a broad social movement, but it does suggest an increase in citizens? popular consciousness of their rights under Chinese law and a willingness to press for vindication.