Construction of Guilt in China
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM (Eastern Daylight Time)

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About the event

The relationship among Chinese police, prosecutors, and judges during a criminal prosecution has long been described thus: the police prepare the meal, the prosecutors cook the meal, and the court consumes the meal. In real life, the “meal” that is being prepared is a detailed evidence dossier that is assembled by police and passed on to the prosecutors and court; it becomes the basis for the court’s decision of guilt or innocence. Dr. Grace (Yu) Mou, who observed the preparation of the “meal” or case dossier while embedded inside a local prosecutors’ office in China, will explain how the process works, and why it makes prevention of wrongful convictions very difficult.

About the speaker

Dr. Grace (Yu) Mou is a lecturer in criminal justice at SOAS University of London where she teaches criminal justice, Chinese law, and law and justice in contemporary China. Her research examines the on-going criminal justice reform in China, provides a rich description of the criminal process in action, and stimulates debate about the difficult legal issues concerning the way China deals with matters relating to criminal justice and human rights. Prior to joining SOAS, Grace taught at the University of Warwick, from which she received her Ph.D, and the University of Hull. Her new book, The Construction of Guilt in China: An Empirical Account of Routine Chinese Injustice, is based on extended immersion inside a local procuratorate, dozens of interviews, and analysis of 240 evidence dossiers. 

Persons who register for this event will receive a free link to the Introduction to The Construction of Guilt in China: An Empirical Account of Routine Chinese Injustice (Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2020).