Retrospection and perspective: Chinese criminal procedure law (1979–2009)

Abstract

The Criminal Procedure Law was promulgated 30 years ago, which is an important starting point for the construction of Chinese Criminal Procedure Law system, and its first amendment in 1996 further adapted to the demand of democracy, the rule of law and social reforms, which might be viewed as a milestone in the history of Chinese criminal justice though the core issues here had not been thoroughly solved. Thereafter, three inherent defects remain in Chinese criminal justice, for which China has also taken initiatives to further amend the Criminal Procedure Law. However, there are various challenges and dilemmas in further amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law, including lack of a constitutional basis, lack of complementary judicial reforms, departmentalism in legislation and restraints of traditional ideas. The orientation of reforms shall be further improvement of the adversary system, focusing on complying with international conventions and coordinating with the results of the institutional reforms of justice in China.