China is headed towards a legal crisis because its weak institutions cannot address an increasing number of grievances, especially from farmers and other underprivileged groups, according to a US expert on the legal system.
'The government is at a crossroads now, maybe approaching a crisis, because its institutions don't work well enough,' Jerome Cohen, a professor at the New York University School of Law, told the Shanghai Foreign Correspondents Club.
'At this point, the leadership is getting the worst of both possible worlds because it is talking about law, it is creating expectations and those expectations are more often than not being dashed.'
Beijing had pledged to establish the rule of law, but the country lacked an independent judiciary and the official channel for grievances, the xinfang (letters and visits) office, was inadequate since only a small percentage of people had their complaints addressed, said Professor Cohen, who has taught on the mainland and advised the government.
Guangdong People's Congress chairwoman Huang Liman called last week for improvements to the petition system to make it more responsive to the people.
Professor Cohen said the mainland was still experimenting with village elections and the system did not allow for removal of local leaders. Guangdong's Taishi village tried and failed last year to oust its headman for alleged corruption.