The Recent Criminal Procedure Law Reforms in China in the Lens of International Treaties

Professor Zhiyuan Guo
China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing

14 December 2017, 2 p.m.
Room 3.07, Institute of East Asian Studies University of Cologne

 

As China’s “practical Constitution” or “Constitution in action”, the Criminal Procedure Law (CPL) is one of China’s most important laws. China has revised its Criminal Procedure Law in 2012, and launched a series of criminal procedure law reforms since then, including ‘trial as the centre’ reform, Chinese plea-bargaining reform, etc. What progress did this round of amendment make? What are the limitations to this amendment? Professor Guo will share her knowledge and insights on the background, process of criminal procedure law reforms in China and follow with discussion of some key changes in the new Criminal Procedure Law, including but not confined to reforms on anti-torture mechanism, investigation, criminal defence and legal aid. She will also talk about the influence of international treaties on China’s criminal procedure law reform, because many reforms conducted were actually trying to implement international law.

Guo Zhiyuan is a Professor of Law at China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) in Beijing, where she specializes in Criminal Procedure, Evidence, International Human Rights Law and Law and Society Studies. She is Deputy Director of the Center for Criminal Law and Justice, CUPL, Adjunct Professor at Buffalo State College, U.S. and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She is also a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the US-Asia Law Institute, New York University School of Law.