He Weifang 賀衛方 b. 1960

He Weifang is a law professor at Peking University, chief editor of “Chinese and Foreign Law”, and an activist striving to reform the Chinese judicial system. Before being given tenure at PKU in 1992, he was the editor at Comparative Law 比较法研究 and Peking University Law Journal 中外法学, both published by the university. Aside from his academic life, he is also a popular essayist and social commentator.

Journal Articles

  • He, Weifang. “The Police and the Rule of Law: Commentary on “Principals and Secret Agents”.” The China Quarterly 191 (2007): 671-4.
  • He, Weifang.. “China’s Legal Profession: The Nascence and Growing Pains of a Professionalized Legal Class.” Columbia Journal of Asian Law1 (2005): 138.
  • He, Weifang.. “Rising toward what?” China Rights Forum. 1 (2007): 19-21.

“He observes that the pursuit of greatness as an end in itself can be counterproductive to a country’s progress toward human rights and rule of law”

  • He, Weifang, et al. “Straight talk from China’s best and brightest.” China Rights Forum 2 (2006): 65-70.

“participants in a confidential think tank discussion find their pointed comments about China’s economy, etc. posted on the Internet”

  • He, Weifang and Li, Li.  “Judicial independence should come first.” Beijing Review45 (Nov 10 2005): 24-25.
  • Tanner, Scot Murray, and Green, Eric. “Principals and Secret Agents: Central vs. Local Control Over Policing and Obstacles to ‘Rule of Law’ in China.” Commentary. He, Weifang. China’s Legal System: New Development, New Challenges (The China Quarterly Special Issues). Donald C. Clarke. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 66-90.
  • He, Weifang. “Three key issues in the reform of the judicial system in China.” Bi Xiaoqing. Social Sciences in China 23. 2 (Sum 2002): 116-122.
  • He, Weifang. “The legal scholar as public intellectual: an interview with He Weifang.” Frank Paul. China Rights Forum. 1 (2005): 70-72.

Collections and Book Chapters

  • He, Weifang. In the Name of Justice: Striving for the Rule of Law in China. Washington: Brookings Institution Press, 2012.

Translations on Web Sources

Blogs