Stanley Lubman

Stanley Lubman Comments on Constitutional Reform in China

The Wall Street Journal, China Realtime Report, September 26, 2011 by Stanley Lubman
http://on.wsj.com/mYkQxC

Even if debate persists about the role of the courts in referencing the Constitution, serious reforms are unlikely to appear soon.  If courts are to be given a greater voice on rights-related matters, major changes in China’s governance would be required that don’t seem possible in the current political climate.

Stanley Lubman Says China Threatens to Legalize Repression

The Wall Street Journal, September 1, 2011 by Stanley Lubman
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/09/01/with-proposed-law-change-china-is-threatening-to-legalize-repression/

A draft of the revised law, posted (in Chinese) Tuesday on the website of the National People’s Congress, confirms what many rights advocates had previously feared: That China plans to legalize the secret and illegal detentions that have previously been carried out in violation of existing law.

Stanley Lubman Examines China’s ‘Ordinary’ Lawyers

The Wall Street Journal, China Real Time Report, August 31, 2011 by Stanley Lubman
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/08/31/dont-overlook-chinas-ordinary-laywers/

There is a relatively small number of activist Chinese lawyers (commonly referred to as “rights protectors”) who specialize in representing Chinese citizens whose rights are violated by government agencies…. Some of them have received much publicity because they are often known to suffer severely and brutally at the hands of police and government authorities. But what about the rest of the country’s 200,000 lawyers?

Stanley Lubman Explains China’s ‘Indigenous Innovation’ Policy

The Wall Street Journal, China Real Time Report, July 22, 2011 by Stanley Lubman
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/07/22/changes-to-chinas-indigenous-innovation-policy-dont-get-too-excited/

While government policy on procurement has receded from the original position and “indigenous innovation” has been “delinked” from government procurement requirements, implementation of this shift is problematic because acceptance and commitment by sub-central (provincial and municipal) governments are needed to make it meaningful.

Stanley Lubman Thinks Chinese Government Must Initiate Reform

The Wall Street Journal, China Real Time Report, July 5, 2011 by Stanley Lubman
http://on.wsj.com/nqlxGz

Although there is no sign of any national movement taking shape, the central government is haunted by the Mideast revolutions. Local governments have responded to the protests with repression, sometimes violent. If the growing social unrest provokes further repression, might that response then provoke further social unrest? Or can the central government initiate reforms that would quiet discontent? The rise of protests suggests that it may be necessary to choose soon.

Stanley Lubman Notes Disconnect in Chinese Governance

The Wall Street Journal, China Real Time Report, June 21, 2011 by Stanley Lubman
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/06/21/chinas-critical-disconnect/

Underfunded local governments frequently dilute and undercut implementation of national laws and policies in their effort to sustain growth and increase local revenues…. There is a frequent disconnect between local governments and Beijing that is aggravated by the center’s underfunding of local governments.

Stanley Lubman Notes Setbacks to China’s Legal Reforms

The Wall Street Journal, China Real Time Report, May 31, 2011 by Stanley Lubman
http://on.wsj.com/kRr32G

China’s leadership has put a priority on quieting social tensions and reducing public protests. To help accomplish these goals they have reversed policies of court reform that have been promoted for over two decades. This setback threatens the future of the criminal process, manifested in recent prosecutions, detentions and house arrests of individuals asserting fundamental rights that have been well-publicized outside China.

Stanley Lubman Explains China’s Noncompliance with WTO Decision

The Wall Street Journal, China Real Time Report, April 19, 2011 by Stanley Lubman
http://on.wsj.com/l5qk2m

A recent WTO decision is supposed to result in the removal of several barriers to the importation of American movies that have collectively been a sore point in Hollywood for years. It’s been exactly a month since a deadline imposed by the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body passed and China has yet to make any substantive move to comply with the trade body’s decision.