Court System

If disputes cannot be solved among the people then there is a judicial court system available. To find out the actual structure of the court system and how it operates we had a discussion with a lecturer in law at Peking University. To quote his words: "After the founding of the People's Republic of China we smashed the old state machine and instituted a new socialist state machine. The old state machine and judicial system of the Kuomintang was used to oppress the working people and serve the few members of the ruling class, i.e., the landlords."

The first National Congress convened in 1954 established the first formal constitution of the People's Republic of China and made public the new judicial system.

It was made clear to us that the judicial system had clear class origins, and that the new laws were designed to protect the masses, the working class. "Courts in our country suppress only small numbers of persons who are enemies to the principle aim of the majority, that of building socialism in China."

The judicial system relies on the judgement of the people as a whole, who are consulted when someone is charged with an offence which cannot be resolved out of court.

How is the theory or principle of relying on the mass decision put into practice?