ABSTRACT
This chapter provides some basic facts about the legal system, including the different sources of law in China and Chinese citizens' use of the courts. It follows one particular dispute as it winds its way through the legal system, and presents some remarks about the future of the Chinese legal system. On 1 January 1997, the Ministry of Justice published the Lawyer's Law, which recognizes lawyers as 'professionals providing legal services to society', a departure from the prior designation of lawyers as state legal workers. The Chinese Bar has also yet to step into the independent professional's role, and its associations remain weak, with key positions often filled by justice officials. One particular dispute illustrates the conflicting attitudes towards law as well as the multi-faceted steps that rural residents will take in their search for justice. The county sifasuo, the lowest-level office for the Ministry of Justice and responsible for mediation, refused to accept the case.
