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Outspoken law scholar He Weifang closes door on colourful career
- Chinese law professor He Weifang has long been an advocate for judicial reform
- He is one of a number of liberal-leaning intellectuals who have previously been censored for dissenting views
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Vanessa Caiin Shanghai
Prominent law professor He Weifang, an outspoken advocate for judicial independence and rule of law in China, is set to retire this week, bidding farewell to a decades-long career.
He, who turned 63 on Monday, is known for being vocal in his opinions on the Chinese judicial system and is one of a number of liberal-leaning intellectuals who have previously been silenced or censored for dissenting views.
In a brief message sent to the South China Morning Post, He confirmed his retirement from Peking University but declined the request of an interview, asking for privacy at this time.
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In 2011, He was named in Foreign Policy’s top 100 global thinkers list. The magazine said he was “an outspoken critic of the Chinese legal system” and a “long-time writer on judicial abuses who says he sees China growing more repressive over time [and] reform cannot come fast enough”.
He has remained one of the most vocal scholars in China, and for some time has been regularly visited by foreign leaders seeking to engage with Chinese intellectuals during business trips, including former German chancellor Angela Merkel.
During the pandemic, He openly criticised the government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak after the death of whistle-blower doctor Li Wenliang.
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