The People's Court: Introducing the Rule of Law in China

This episode of the PBS-aired Wide Angle series looks at China's efforts to establish a more Western-style legal system for resolving disputes. With the growth of market capitalism since the late 1970s being responsible for the displacement of many rural Chinese—as industrialization and urban sprawl have pushed peasants into cities where they struggle to find work—the number of legal disputes related to property and labor issues has risen dramatically. Although 400 law schools have been built to train judges and lawyers, the Chinese are still unaccustomed to resolution through the courts, especially in rural areas. The People's Court incorporates courtroom footage, voiceover narration, and subtitled interviews with judges, lawyers, plaintiffs, and defendants to illustrate how the court system is working in typical criminal and civil cases. Although law professors talk about transforming the Chinese legal system to advance social justice, many Chinese feel that the law and government are linked, with corruption so entrenched that legal action is futile. Viewers will also meet attorney Ran Tong, a legal activist working to protect rural Chinese, and corporate lawyer Alice Young, who talks about China's future. Ultimately, The People's Court suggests that the new legal system can successfully help people in cases—such as individual vs. corporation—where traditional methods of resolving disputes simply don't apply. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)