The Politicisation of China's Law-Enforcement and Judicial Apparatus

The Chinese Communist Party has politicised the judicial and law-enforcement apparatus despite Beijing’s avowed commitment to global norms. This paper shows how, in the wake of the 4 June 1989 crackdown, the CCP leadership enhanced its control over the courts and procuratorates so as to boost its capacity to punish dissidents, separatists, and other destabilising elements. Despite President Hu Jintao’s slogan of “running the country according to law,” the prospect for rule of law and judicial independence remains illusory