Book Review: China's Journey Toward the Rule of Law: Legal Reform, 1978-2008 by Cai Dingjian and Wang Chenguang, Eds.

Abstract

Rule of law seems to be experiencing a bit of a dark period in China right now. Corruption is endemic; popular protests against unlawful government actions seem to be at an all-time high; and at the same time, and somewhat paradoxically, the party-state has become increasingly aggressive in suppressing people who are seeking to use law rather than violence to express grievances and felt injustices against public officials. Universities have even been told that academics should not talk about the constitution and constitutionalism.