A Heavy Milestone

Changes to China's employment law have proved controversial,pitting pro-labor against pro-employer After more than two years of deliber- ation and public comments,the Law of the People's Republic of China on Employment Contracts, or Employment Contract Law,has been ratified and will officially come into force on January 1,2008.What does the new law imply for employers and employees? The new law is a milestone in building an employment and social security system in China since the current Employment Law of China was enacted in 1994.It has been for- mulated to protect the lawful rights and inter-     

The Power of Law

China's draft Energy Law is now under consideration China's draft Energy Law has been submitted to the State Council's Legislative Affairs Office and will be considered at this year's executive meeting, said a key member of the expert panel drafting the law. If the law makes it through the council, the National People's Congress (NPC), China's supreme law-making body, will vote on it.     

Fixing Flaws in the Law

China's top legislature has adopted a draft amendment to the Law on Lawyers that will make it easier for lawyers to meet criminal suspects and obtain evidenceA change to China's 11-year-old Law on Lawyers is set to empow- er the country's legal profession. The amendment to the law,which will come into effect on June 1 next year,will allow individuals to open a law firm,improve access to clients and enable lawyers to build a case more easily. Lawyers in China have traditionally lacked power and this has hampered devel- opment of the industry.The amendment could change this and lead to rapid growth in the profession.     

Free Press:Watchdog Not Lapdog

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, has for the second time deliberated on the new version of the Emergency Response Law. The new version deletes the provision under which news media are barred from reporting on emergencies or releasing information concerning emergency events without authorization from relevant authorities. The amended version of this law gives more credence to public opinion, and the growing role of Chinese citizens in legislation is widely acclaimed as a more democratic approach by the government. China's renowned legal professor, Cai Dingjian, Director of the Constitutionalism Research Institute of China University of Political Science and Law, recently commented on the decision to amend this law and on the social effect of mass media. In an interview with The Economic Observer, a leading Chinese business weekly, Cai said that China's steady social transformation demands a free and responsible press in order to secure democratic rights for the people. Excerpts:     

IS It Right to Lower the Age of Limited Civil Conduct Capacity?

正A draft of general rules stipulating the basic principles of China’s Civil Code was submitted to the top legislature for its first reading in late June. The passage of the rules wil be the first step in compiling the all-encompassing Civil Code. Over the past decades, China has enacted a number of laws on managing civil affairs, such as the Property Law and the Contract Law,but has yet to integrate them into a comprehensive code.One of the changes in the draft is the     

Provide Equal Protection to Property Under All Ownerships

Question: The formulation of Real Rights Law of the People's Republic of China is now a hot topic of debate with- in China's legal community. To the gen- eral public, however, the law is entirely new. Would you tell us the main con- tents of the draft law and what the law means to the Chinese society? Answer: Real right, also known as right of property or property right, refers to the right of a natural person and a corpo- rate entity to the disposition of a certain piece of property. Real…     

MILESTONES MARK NEW DIRECTION

Laws move China a step further down market March 16 witnessed the approval of the landmark Property Law at the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC). This is the first time that equal protection to state and private proper- ties has been enshrined in Chinese law, a move which marks a significant step in the     

Improve Labor Contract System, Safeguard Lawful Rights and Interests of Laborers——An interview with Prof. Guan Huai of Law School of Renmin University of China

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Draft Labor Contract Law of the People's Republic of China has been completed and was published for soliciting comments on March 20. In a short period of one month, 191,849 pieces of comments and opinions were received. Prior to the promulgation of the law, this reporter interviewed Mr. Guan Huai, a noted Chinese expert in labor law, professor of the Law School of the Renmin University of China and law advisor to the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.     

East China University of Political Science and Law Human Rights and Humanitarian LawResearch Center

<正>I.IntroductionThe Human Rights and Humanita-rian Law Research Center at the East China University of Political Science and Law was established in December 2006,with public international law experts as its core.The center is admin-istered by the International Law School at the East China University of Political Science and Law.With support from the university leadership and the research office,in-terdisciplinary cooperation in the center has been strengthened.Well-known scholars in constitutional law,legal his-tory,legal theory,criminal investigation and military law have become advisers or key members of the center.The main task of the center is to     

A LAW FOR THE LAW

<正>The legal system gets a new suit of armor By Yin PuminChina’s top legislative body has adopted an amendment to the Legislation Law,the foundation of the nation’s legal system,to make the process of formulating and enacting laws more efficient while simultaneously reinforcing the rule of law.Since coming into effect in July 2000,the Legislation Law has served as the cornerstone of China’s legal system.It regulates how national