Peter Murray and Lin Jiang | Essay

Much is written about the legal system in China and how on the one hand it is biased in favour of local parties and on the other hand it is no more than a tool of the state. Recent cases in the maritime courts in China may give some support to the first view. This Article will review how those cases have arisen and explore the reasons why they have come about. However, this review is only half the story because very recent developments suggest that the court system is self-regulating to prevent this occurrence. This Article will also consider whether the self-regulation is a welcome move and indeed whether it might be considered as an example of the legal system being a tool of the state.