Criminal Justice Reform

GBCC has established a track-record of successful legal cooperation projects in China since 1991, and it is our specialised, collaborative approach that has been fundamental to this success over the years.

By leveraging our long-term partnerships with major legal and judicial stakeholders in China, we target specific deliverables and impact reform at the highest levels.

Such work can only progress to the extent that there is Chinese buy-in for reform, which we achieve through skilful project design and careful analysis of the Chinese environment for policy change. Our combination of knowledge exchange between academics, police, prosecutors, lawyers, and judges in Europe and China, together with empirical research by academic partners on the ground, has proved very effective in influencing national-level legislation and policies, most recently relating to procedural safeguards and the rights of detainees.

Over the years, GBCC has achieved measurable change through the increased professionalism of lawyers and judges, greater independence and accountability of law enforcement agencies, established lay visitor schemes in pre-trial detention centres, and influence over judicial interpretations which guide the implementation of the new lawyers’ law.