Shanghai’s Jingan Court: A Judge’s Spouse May Not Be An Attorney

• Author: Li Liang

Shanghai’s Jingan district Court recently promulgated the a rule calling "one spouse to leave the judicial system."

As long as a judge’s spouse is a lawyer, the judge may not serve in the highest-ranking cadre in that court, or serve on the judicial committee. The judge may not head up any division or departments involved in adjudication or administration.

At present, the nine of the Court’s employees are married to lawyers. The lawyer spouses of three judges plan to relinquish their...