No late recovery of justice

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Fixing wrongs in legal system

A single case is enough to hold or ruin the people's trust in justice. The retrial of Huugjilt's case is a good opportunity for the Chinese judiciary to defend justice and prove it is making progress toward rule of law; let the case be remembered as a milestone on the path to a judicial civilization.

cnr.com, Dec 14

Many say the final sentence, which found Huugjilt innocent, is justice. But the then 18-year-old lad has now been dead for 18 years; neither apology nor a correct verdict nor the whole nation's compassion can wake him up again in his cold tomb. Late justice is not justice, but a bandage for the scar that has been bleeding for 18 years.

Chen Jieren, independent commentator, via ifeng blog, Dec 15

The authorities have said they will investigate those who participated in wrongfully sentencing Huugjilt to death without enough evidence. That's a good move, but merely holding individuals accountable for their wrong deeds is far from enough; what is needed is a firm mechanisms to prohibit torture for confessions and supervise police power, so that no cases emerge in the future.

Tong Zhiwei, professor of law at East China University of Political Science and Law, via Sina micro blog, Dec 15

Some say Chinese courts rule numerous cases annually and only a very few are wrong; but every wrong case inflicts irreparable damage on those who are the victims of such miscarriages of justice. The retrial and correction of wrong cases is a test for China's judicial branch that it cannot afford to fail.

Beijing Times, Dec 14

This is perhaps the heaviest judgment in modern China's history. Justice is late - yet still better than never. Today should be the day when all judicial staff members of the nation once again recognize that they are the last defense of social justice, which is easily damaged by their mistakes. President Xi Jinping has vowed that people will get justice in every judicial case - judges and procurators, please honor your positions.

Shenzhen Satellite TV, Dec 15