Yangtze Briefing | Shanghai judges not pleased with judicial reform
Court chiefs say move to cut their numbers by a third will only increase their case loads
Judges in Shanghai have given the cold shoulder to the much-hyped judicial reform plan that would cut their numbers by one-third, despite Beijing's offer to grant them a hefty pay rise and more authority in rulings.
The mainland's commercial hub was designated as one of the six provincial-level regions in early July to spearhead a five-year reform of the judicial system.
Three judges interviewed by the South China Morning Post, who spoke on condition of anonymity, shared the opinion that the reform proposal lacked proper planning and methods of execution.
Gong Zhenhua, a partner with Ronghe Law Firm, echoed the sentiment.
"The orientation of the reform is correct, but the execution plan needs to be carefully made," Gong said. "Slashing the headcount won't help the local team of judges improve their professionalism overnight."
A one-third cut in the number of judges could initially lead to a large backlog of cases
Under the plan, the number of judges in Shanghai would be cut by one-third from the current 3,700.