There are repeated claims that the police in the People's Republic of China (PRC) abuse their legal powers. This has been attributed to a lack of institutional supervision and a failure of legal control. There are, however, other more enduring reasons contributing to police abuse of power in the PRC. This paper begins by offering some empirical data on the prevalence of PRC police abuse of power. It is followed by a case study of police abuse of shouron shencha, an investigative de tention power, to further illuminate the nature of police abuses. The paper ends by postulating some of the more significant and enduring cultural, institutional and ideological factors accounting for the abuse of police powers in the Deng era after 1979. These include: the lack of an entrenched legal culture in the rule of law, the absence of an ingrained constitutional spirit in limited government and the emer gence of pragmatism as a political ideology.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Amnesty International.1984. China: Violations of Human Rights: Prisoners of Conscience and the Death Penalty in the People's Republic of China. London : Amnesty International Publications.
2.
Bermen, H.1982. Law and Revolution. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
3.
Blaustein, A.P 1962. Fundamental Legal Documents of Communist China . New Jersey: Fred B. Rothman & Co.
4.
Bodde, D. and Morris, C.1967. Law in Imperial China. Cambridge, Mass : Harvard University Press.
5.
Brady, J.P.1982. Justice and Politics in People's China. Calif.: Academic Press.
6.
Brown, R.1984. The Nature of Social Laws—Machiavelli to Mill. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
7.
Cai, C., ed. 1992. A Comprehensive Overvaew of Cases from Twelve PRC Laws (Zhonghua Remin Gongheguo Shier Fa Anli Huilan. Beijing: Zhonguo chengfa daixue chubanshe.
8.
Case 26. 1992. "Who should be the defendant in this case?" Pp. 47-8. in A Selection of Administrative Compensation Cases (Xingzheng Peichang Anli Xuanbian. Beijing: Zhongguo renmin gongan daixue chubanshe.
9.
Case 41. 1992. "The case of Cheng Yingchun suing Lishi county public security bureau for illegal sheltering for examination." (Cheng Yingchun xu Lishixian gonganju duiqi weifa shouron shencha an. Pp. 170-171 in A Collection of Court Cases Vol. 1, edited by Supreme People's Court.Bejing: Renmin fayuan chubanshe.
10.
Case 49. 1992. "Mistake should be ratified, that is the only way to gain the mass's wholehearted support." Pp. 86-87 in A Selection of Admznutrative Compensation Cases (Xingzheng Peichang Anli Xuanbian. Beijing: Zhongguo renmin gongan daixue chubanshe.
11.
The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society. 1967. Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office.
Chen, WD1992. "A research into certain questions regarding sheltering for examination" (Shouron shencha de ruogan wenti yanjiu) in Chinese Legal Studies (Zhongguo Faxue) 2:82-87.
14.
Chen, Y.S.1988. New Tide in Democratic Constitutional Politics (Minzhu Xianzheng Xinchao. Beijing: Renmin chubanshe.
15.
Chen, Z.M.1992. Chen Zhiming Reflecting Upon Ten Years of Reform (Chen Zhiming Fanshi Shinian Gaige. Hong Kong: Dangdai yuekan chubanshe.
16.
Cohen, J., R. Edwards and F. Chen, eds. 1980. Essays on China's Legal Tradition. N.J.: Princeton University Press.
17.
Cohen, J.A.1978. "China's Changing Constitution." China Quarterly76:794-842.
18.
Collins, H.1984. Marxism and Law. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
19.
Communiqué of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party of China. 1978. Hong Kong: Joint Publishing Company.
20.
Constitution of the People's Republic of China. 1982. Hong Kong: Joint Publishing Company.
21.
Deng, X.P.1983. Selected Work of Deng Xiaoping. Beijing : Foreign Languages Press.
22.
Dong, B.W.1985. A Collection of Political and Legal Work of Dong Biwu (Zhengzhi Falu Wenji. Beijing: Falu Chubanshe.
23.
Du, G.J.1992. "From Dictatorship to Constitutionalism" (Cong zhuanzheng dao xianzheng. Zhejian Xuekan3:36-40.
24.
Dutton, M.R.1991. Policing and Punishment in China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
25.
Dworkin, R.1991. "Pragmatism, Right Answers, and True Banality." Pp. 365-388 in Pragmatism in Law and Society. Edited by Michael Brint and William Weaver.Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.
Editorial Committee.1992b. Important Overview of Chinese Adjudicated Cases (Zhongguo Shenpan Anli Yaolan . Beijing: Renmin gongan aaixue chubanshe.
28.
Epstein, E.J.1994. "Law and Legitimation in Post-Mao China." Pp. 19-55 in Domestic Law Reforms in Post-Mao China. Edited by Pitman B. Potter.New York: M.E. Sharpe.
29.
Fairbank, J.1979. The United States and China, Fourth Edition.
30.
Falkenheim, VC1989. "Human Rights and The Law in the PRC." Pg. 271-299 in Chinese Polittcs from Mao to Deng. Edited by V C. Falkenheim.New York: Paragon House.
31.
Finer, S.E.1977. Five Constitutions. Sussex: Harvester Press.
32.
Friday, M.1989. "Show Trials in China: After Tiananmen Square." Journal of Law and Society16:352-59.
33.
Friedman, L.M.1975. The Legal System: A Social Science Perspective . New York: Russell Sage Foundation .
34.
Fu, Z.L.1993. "Control of Powers—An Important Rule of Politics " (Quanli zhiyue—yitiao zhongyao de zhengzhi guilu. Legal Science (Zhongguo Faxue) 2:64-70
35.
Gao, S.X.1993. Annotated Readings of Chinese Famous Historical Jurisprudential Writings (Zhongguo lidai faxue mingbian zhushi. Beijing : Zhongguo renmin gongan daxue chubanshe.
36.
Guan, X.J.1983. "Socialist Constitutions in Comparative Perspective ." Chinese Law and Government3:3-12.
37.
Heffernan, WC and R.W. Lovely.1991. "Evaluating the Fourth Amendment Exclusionary Rule: The Problem of Police Compliance with the Law." University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform24:311-369.
Hirschi, T.1969. Causes of Delinquency. Berkeley, Calif. : University of California Press.
40.
Ho, D.Y.F.1986. "Chinese Patterns of Socialization: A Critical Review ." In The Psychology of the Chinese People, edited by Michael H. Bond. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press.
41.
Huntington, S.P.1996. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order . New York: Simon & Schuster .
42.
Jones, W.1994. The Great Qing Code. Oxford : Oxford University Press.
43.
Knapp W.1972. Commission to Investigate Allegations of Police Corruption and the City's Anti-Corruption Procedures. New York City .
44.
Lam, WL1987. Toward a Chinese-Style Socialism: An Assessment of Deng Xiaoping's Reform. Hong Kong: Oceanic Cultural Service .
45.
Law Yearbook of China Editorial Committee.1991. Law Yearbook of China. Beijing: Law Publishing House.
46.
Leng, S.C.1977. "The Role of Law in the PRC as Reflecting Mao Tse-tung's Influence." Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology68:356-575.
47.
Li, J.F.1989. A History of Chinese Legal System (Zhongguo Fazhishi . Taiwan : Lianjing chubanshe, 1989.
48.
Li, V.1978. Law Without Lawyers. Boulder, Colorado : Westview.
49.
Li, Z.D.1989. The Legal Thought and Practice of Mao Zedong( Mao Zedong Falu Sixiang he Shijian ).Shangxi : Shanxi renmin jiaoyu chubanshe.
50.
Liang, Z.P.1989. "Explicating Law: A Comparative Perspective of Chinese and Western Legal Culture." Journal of Chinese Law3:55-94, 55-63.
51.
Liu, S.Q.1984. "How to Be a Good Communist." Pp. 107-156 in Selected Work of Liu Shaqi Vol. 1. Beijing : Foreign Languages Press.
52.
Luo, R.Q.1994. A Treatise on People's Police Work (Lun Renmin Gongan GongzuoBeijing: Qunzhong chubanshe .
53.
MacFarquhar, R.1974. The Ongins of the Cultural Revolution. New York: Columbia University Press.
54.
Mao, Z.D.1967. Selected Works of Mao Zhedong. Beijing : Foreign Language Press.
55.
—. 1977. "On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People " in Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Vol. 5. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press .
56.
McCormack, R.J.1987. "Confronting Police Corruption: Organizational Initiatives for Internal Control." Pp. 151-161 in Managing Police Corruption: International Perspectives edited by Richard H. Ward and Robert McCormack.Chicago : Office of International Criminal Justice, University of Illinois at Chicago.
57.
Merton, R.1968. Social Theory and Social Structure. New York: Free Press.
58.
Metzger, T.A.1971. The Internal Organization of Ch'ing Bureaucracy: Legal, Normative, and Communicative Aspects. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
59.
Ministry of Public Security.1985. " Circular regarding paying attention to certain questions in editing and printing criminal cases" (Guanyu bianyin xingshi anli bixu zhuyi de jige wenti de tongzhi). (August 23, 1985 P. 219 in Chinese Public Security Encyclopedia (Zhongguo Gongan Baike Quanshu . Edited by Chinese Public Security Encyclopedia Editorial Committee.1989. Changchun: Jilin chubanshe.
60.
Miyazaki, I.1980. "The Administration of Justice During the Sung Dynasty ." Pp. 56-75 in Essays on China's Legal Tradition. Edited by Cohen, Edwards and Chen.New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
61.
" Liang Chunfang yuanwei ganjing fuxu." 1993. Renmin Gongan Bao (People's Public Security Newspaper). March 20, 1993, p. 1.
62.
Note. "Concepts of Law in the Chinese Anti-Crime Campaigns."1985. Harvard Law Review98:1890.
63.
Peng, Z.1982. "Clarifications regarding PRC Constitutional Law" (Guanyu "Zhonghua renmin gongheguo xianfa xiugai caian" de shuoming. At the Fifth N.P.C. Standing Committee, 23rd session, April 22, 1982.
64.
Pope, C.E. and L.E. Ross.1992. "Race, Crime, and Justice: The Aftermath of Rodney King." Criminologist17: 1-10
65.
Posner, P.1990. The Problems of Jurisprudence. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
66.
Possony, S.T.1976. "The Maoist Constitution of 1975." In The New Constitution of Communist China: Comparative Analysis. Edited by Michael Lindsay. Republic of China: Institute of International Relations.
67.
Procuratorate System in Contemporary China Editorial Committee.1987. Procuratorate System in Contemporary China (Dangdai Zhongguo de Jiancha ZhiduoBeijing: Dangdai zhongguo chubanshe.
68.
Procuratorial Yearbook of China Editorial Board.1987—91. Procuratorial Yearbook of China (1987-91). (Zhongguo Jiancha NianjianBeijing: Zhonggou jiancha chubanshe.
69.
Qiao, C.Q.1992. "A theory of Chinese capitalist class human rights and legal system" (Zhongguo zichan jieji de renquan yu fazhi lilun . Chinese Foreign Legal Studies (Zhongwai Faxue) 3:50-57.
70.
Reed, T.E. and W.D. Beckerman.1978. "The Value of Equality in the Rule of Law." International Journal of Criminology and Penology6(4):363-371.
Rubenstein, J.1973. City Police. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.
73.
Schram, S.1989. The Thought of Mao Tse-tung. Cambndge : Cambridge University Press.
74.
Seymore, J.D.1989. "Human Rights and The Law in the PRC." Pp. 271-299 in Chinese Politics from Mao to Deng. Edited by Victor C. Falkenheim.New York: Paragon House.
75.
Seymore, J.D., and M. Finday.1989. "Show Trials in China: After Tiananmen Square." Journal of Law and Society16:352-59.
76.
Shaw, C. and H.D. McKay.1968. Juvenile Delinquency. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
77.
Siegel, L.J.1986. Criminology. St. Paul, Minn. : West Publishing.
78.
Skolnick, J.H.1966. Justice Without Trial. New York : Wiley.
79.
Song, Y.J.1986. "The Principle of Balance in Criminal Procedures ." Studies in Law (Faxue Yanjiu). 2: 59-64.
80.
Spence, J.D.1990. The Search for Modern China. New York : W.W. Norton & Co.
81.
Srole L.1956. "Social Integration and Certain Corollaries." American Sociological Review21: 709-16
82.
State Council.1980. "Circular regarding the merger of labor reform and investigative detention" (Guanyu jian qiangzhi laodong he shouron shencha liang xiang cuoshi tongyi yu laodong jiaoyang de tongzhi). February 29, 1980 (Guofa (1980) 56 hao wenjian). (State release (1980) no. 56 document, promulgated as 1980 State Council Public Release, No. 2. Pp. 57-59 in State Council Gazette of the People's Republic of China. April 16, 1980. PRC government publication.
83.
Supreme People's Court.1990. " Circular regarding strengthening the management of penalties and confiscation and guaranteeing of case-handling expenditure of the police, procuratorate, court departments" (Guanyu jiaqiang gongjianfa bumen famei shouru guanli he baozheng banan jingfiei de tongzhi. P. 9 inA Compilation ofPRC Laws and Restrictive Explanations, supplemental copy (Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo Falu Guifanxing Jieshi Jicheng . Changchun: Jilin renmin chubanshe .
84.
Supreme People's Procuracy.1981. "Circular from criminal prosecution office" (Xingshi jianchating de tongzhi). (June 26, 1981 P.191 inA Compilation of PRC Laws and Restrictive Explanations (Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo Falu Guifanxing Jieshi Jicheng. Changchun : Jilin renmin chubanshe.
Ting, W.1994. "Ideology and the Ethos of Reform." Pp. 3.1 to 3.21 in China Review 1994. Edited by Brosseau, M. and L. C. Kin. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press.
87.
Van der Sprenkel, S.1962. Legal Institutions in Manchu China. London: University of London.
88.
Wang Cuihua case. 1992. "The case of Wang Cuihua refusal to accept sheltering for examination by Su county district government administrative office public security place" (Wang Cuihua bufu suxian diqu xingzhengshu gongan chu shouron shencha an. Pp. 1181-85 in Important Overview of Chinese Adjudicated Cases (Zhongguo Shenpan Anli Yaolan. Beijing: Renmin gongan aaixue chubanshe.
89.
Wang J.T.1992. Wang Juntao: The Person, Words, and "Crime. " Hong Kong: Contemporary Monthly.
90.
Well, C.1991. "Situated Decision Making." Pp. 275-293 in Pragmatism in Law and Society. Edited by Michael Brint and William Weaver.Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.
91.
Westley, W.1972. Violence and the Police: A Sociological Study of Law, Custom, and Morality. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.
92.
White, M.1974. Social Thought in America: The Revolt Against Formalism . Boston: Beacon, Mass.
93.
Wickersham.1931. Report on Lawlessness in Law Enforcement. Washington, D.C. : United States Government Printing Office.
94.
Wiener, P.1949. Evolution and the Founders of Pragmatism. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press .
95.
Wong, K.C.1984. "A Legal Opinion." China Trade Report. December: 13.
96.
—. 1985. "China's rule of law: will it succumb to tradition ?" Pp. 18-19. Far East Economic Review. Hong Kong.
97.
—. 1994a. The State of The Watch and Clock Industry in Hong Kong: An Industry Report by the Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades and Industries Ltd. (1993-1994. Hong Kong: Federation of Hong Kong Watch Trades and Industries.
98.
—. 1994b. "Public security reform in China in the 1990s ." Pp. 5.1 to 5.40 in China Review 1994 edited by Brosseau, M. and L. C. Kin. Hong Kong: Chinese University of Hong Kong.
99.
—. 1996. "Police Powers and Control in the People's Republic of China: A Case Study of Police Detention." Columbia Journal of Asian Law.10:369-390.
100.
—. 1997. "Sheltering for Examination (Shoushen) in the People's Republic of China: Law, Policy, and Practices." Occasional Papers/Reprint Series in Contemporary Asian Studies, School of Law, University of Maryland. 3:1-55.
101.
—. 1998. "Community Policing in China: Philosophy, Law, and Practice ." Unpublished manuscript. Paper presented at the Academy of Criminal Justice Science annual conference. March 13, 1998. Albuquerque, New Mexico.
102.
Xu, Y.J.1992. "Chinese Criminal Process and Human Rights" ( Zhongguo xingshi susong yu renquan. Chinese Foreign Legal Studies (Zhongwai Faxue). 2 :38-43.
103.
Yang, Y.C.1988. "The Supreme People's Procuratorate Work Report" (Zuigao renmin jianchayuan gongzuo baogao. Pp. 21-28 in Procuratorial Yearbook of China 1989 (Zhongguo Jiancha Nianjian 1989. Edited by the Supreme People's Procuratorate Editorial Committee.Beijing: Zhonggou Jiancha Chubanshe.
104.
" You '36 zhi yazi yinchu de caifang" ("A news report caused by 36 ducks" Renmin Gongan Bao (People's Public Security Newspaper). July 6, 1993, p.1.
105.
Yu, X.Z.1989. "Legal Pragmatism in the People's Republic of China ." Journal of Chinese Law. 3(1) 1989: 29-53.
106.
Zha, Z.J.1989. Forty Years of Chinese Legal System (Zhongguo fazhi sixhinian 1949-1989). Beijingdaixue chubanshe.
