According to the annual report of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) of China, cases heard and concluded by the SPC experienced an unprecedented rise in 2015, which amounted to 15,985 and 14,135 respectively, an increase by 42.6 per cent and 43 per cent respectively from corresponding numbers in 2014.1 As another report prepared by the SPC Research Office shows, for the same year, the people’s courts2 accepted 17.66 million cases and concluded and enforced 16.714 million cases, an increase of 22.81 per cent and 21.1 per cent respectively from the previous year.3 The growth rate of the number of accepted and concluded cases was almost three times that of 2014 and reached a ten-year record high. There were 1.12 million criminal cases heard by people’s courts, 1.099 million of which were concluded at first instance, and 1.232 million criminals were convicted—an increase of 8.29 per cent, 7.45 per cent, and 4.06 per cent respectively.4 Cases involving violent crimes were in decline, including homicide (10,187 cases), intentional injury (122,209 cases), rape (21,252 cases), kidnapping (787 cases), and explosion (131 cases), which decreased by 5.81 per cent, 3.04 per cent, 9.39 per cent, 24.54 per cent, and 18.13 per cent respectively.5 Cases involving crimes of disrupting the order of financial administration, financial fraud, and illegal pyramid selling increased dramatically. For example, the local people’s courts accepted 4,825 cases on illegal deposit taking from the public, which was an increase of 127.38 per cent, and 1,018 cases on unlawful and fraudulent fundraising, which was an increase of 48.83 per cent.6 The number of drug-related crimes cases also increased dramatically, while criminal cases relating to pornography had a minor increase. The local people’s courts accepted 141,999 drug-related crimes cases, an increase of 30.79 per cent, and accepted pornography criminal cases amounting to 13,700, an increase of 10.87 per cent.7 There were 49,000 criminals convicted in cases involving embezzlement and bribery, in which 134 of the criminals were at an administrative level of a bureau director or higher.8 Local courts at various levels also heard and concluded 6,221 cases on fraud committed through the Internet and the crime of picking quarrels and making trouble; 5,446 cases on the crimes of abducting, trafficking in, and sexually abusing women and children; and 1,084 cases on crimes of aggression against the country and launching violent terrorist attacks.9