American Law Newsletter, Issue 4

Author: Lin Xiaoyun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-12-01
Features: Since 2004, legal reforms have been flourishing and gradually deepening across the land of China. However, the millennia-old tradition of rule by man and more than half a century of planned economy cannot be changed overnight. Therefore, on one hand, there are fresh and dynamic developments, while on the other hand, breaking through the old system is a difficult task. One leg has already stepped into the future, while the other still lingers in the past—this can be said to be a true reflection of contemporary China. At this critical juncture of profound transformation, it is extremely important to learn from the successes and failures of other countries. To meet the needs of domestic readers to understand the evolution of the U.S. judicial system during the current judicial reforms, this series continues to serialize the best-selling book Grand Strategies: Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor of the U.S. Supreme Court in this installment. In line with the ongoing debates on the death penalty in both countries' legal circles, we are publishing here for the first time the remarks delivered by Judge Helen J. Kimmett Bilger, an expert on the U.S. death penalty, at Peking University in September 2004.