The Trial of Li Zhuang: Chinese Lawyers' Collective Action against Populism

Sida Liu*, Lily Liang, Terence C. Halliday

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    21 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The Chinese judicial system has long been influenced by a populist legal ideology that prioritizes public accountability and political legitimacy over professional autonomy. In recent years, however, the Chinese legal profession has begun to mobilize collectively, albeit episodically, to challenge this populism. Drawing on legal documents, interviews, media reports, and online discussions, this paper provides a scholarly analysis of the Li Zhuang case in 2009-11, in which the fate of an individual criminal defence lawyer was linked with the main ideological conflict in China's legal system and the highest-level political struggles in the Chinese state. It demonstrates that, although populism remains an intimidating force in China's judicial practice, lawyers, scholars, and other legal professionals may be laying a foundation for collective solidarity to pursue professionalism through their mobilization against populism.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)79-97
    Number of pages19
    JournalAsian Journal of Law and Society
    Volume1
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2014

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