Challenges to Online Criminal Litigation in the Context of Smart Justice and Responses——Focusing on the Protection of the Right to Defense

Online criminal litigation transcends the constraints of physical time and space and changes the logic and path of trial hearings for some criminal cases with the help of technology.However,the leapfrog shift from the“physical field”to the“virtual field”has brought great challenges to the effective exercise of the defendant's right to defense.Online criminal justice further highlights the imbalance in the relationship between prosecution and defense in the context of smart justice,and proposes a new topic for protecting the human rights of the prosecuted.The introduction of online criminal litigation in judicial practice is intended to achieve justice in a faster and more convenient way.However,the dissipation of the ritualized remote hearings tends to undermine the effectiveness of the defense and impair the defense's ability to cross-examine evidence,while the technically advantageous public authorities can aggravate the barrier to the defense's meeting and reading the case file.The root cause is that technological power instrumentalism overemphasizes pragmatism and the pursuit of truth under the position of authority,thus diluting humanistic care for the subject of litigation.In order to resolve the problem with the quality and effectiveness of the right to defense in remote hearings,it is necessary to transform online criminal litigation from a“practical technical tool”to a“convenient auxiliary method,”and appropriately weigh the limits of pursuing truth against human rights protection in special scenarios.Meanwhile,it is also feasible to provide technical care for the defense and strengthen its ability to cross-examine evidence.Moreover,a covert communication platform should be furnished for the defender's online meeting to actively strengthen the protection of the defendant's right to defense.

The Historic Achievements of the Communist Party of China in Respecting and Protecting Human Rights in the New Era

In the new era,the Communist Party of China(CPC)has made historic achievements in respecting and protecting human rights.Building upon the principle of the“two integrations”(integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and fine traditional culture),it has nurtured new theories on respecting and protecting human rights in the new era,which can address the fundamental questions of whom and what the human rights protection efforts in the new era are for.Guided by the principle of“taking our own path,”it has charted a distinct course for the development of human rights,diverging from the Western approach.The CPC has maintained the unity between Party leadership and the respect for and protection of human rights,promoting progress in human rights through the pursuit of“high-quality development,”and ensuring various fundamental rights of the people through the rule of law.Building upon the past experience,the CPC has established the“source”of the institutional framework for respecting and protecting human rights in the new era,crafted the“body”of this institutional framework,and introduced its practical“application.”In promoting the comprehensive advancement of human rights protection,the CPC has facilitated the connotative development of human rights protection in China,empowering China in international human rights discourse,and contributing Chinese strength and wisdom to global human rights governance.

The Development of Human Rights Protection in Cross-border Personality Rights and Tort Conflict Laws

Personality rights are basic rights related to human dignity in the concept of human rights protection,and respect for personality rights is the basic prerequisite for safeguarding other human rights.Human rights protection exerts a profound impact on the value of legislation and enforcement practices of private international laws in the field of cross-border personality rights infringement in various countries,which is mainly manifested in the integration of substantive justice and the humanistic care concept of protecting the rights of vulnerable groups into formal justice,and expands the development space of human rights protection ideas in cross-border personality rights and tort conflict laws.the diversity of human rights protection values determines that cross-border personality rights infringement may lead to conflicts between personality rights and other basic rights,such as freedom of speech.to reconcile such conflicts,a workable method is to prioritize personality rights protection in accordance with the hierarchy of rights theory in the value judgment of public order reservation or to clarify the limits of the right holder’s tolerance obligation through the limited application of the principle of proportionality.China’s current cross-border personality rights and tort conflict law can optimize the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups by diversifying the options of available legal methods,and establish a balancing mechanism between personality rights and freedom of speech,so as to improve China’s legal protection system for human rights in the field of foreign-related civil and commercial affairs.

The Prosecutorial Protection of Digital Human Rights

In the digital age,the rise of digital human rights has become an important expansion in the field of human rights.When advancing digital prosecution strategies,prosecutorial agencies should pay greater attention to the protection of digital human rights.The fragile state of digital human rights and the unique position of prosecutorial agencies in human rights protection make it imperative that prosecutorial agencies place more emphasis on fulfilling their responsibilities in legal oversight to promote the protection of digital human rights.Currently,prosecutorial agencies have strengthened the protection of digital human rights through such measures as promoting legal oversight with big data,enhancing the handling of criminal cases involving citizens'digital human rights,expanding the scope of public interest litigation protecting digital human rights,and improving their roles in civil and administrative prosecution.However,there are still challenges related to the inadequacy of updating the mindset,the incompleteness of measures,and the lack of innovation in mechanisms and systems.Therefore,prosecutorial agencies should further align with the implementation of digital prosecution strategies,update their human rights protection concepts,intensify efforts to combat cybercrime,strengthen the protection of citizens'personal information through prosecution,enhance public interest protection of collective digital human rights through public interest litigation,and actively innovate prosecutorial work mechanisms and systems to bolster the protection of digital human rights.

Theory on Introducing a Mandatory Attorney System into Civil Litigation from the Perspective of the Protection of the Right of Action

As an important rectifying mechanism to the involved parties-oriented civil litigation model,the mandatory attorney system requires the involved parties of a lawsuit to appoint a lawyer to represent them in the litigation,otherwise they will be rejected because the litigation requirements aren’t met.This seems to restrict the litigants’right to initiate a lawsuit by themselves.Through the arrangement of the system for the participation of lawyers in some litigation procedures,stages,and cases,coupled with the legal principle of litigation costs,the litigation costs sharing mechanism,legal aid,and other related supporting systems,it is not only a substantive guarantee for the litigants’right of action,but also can even strengthen the protection of the litigants’right of action in civil litigation.Based on the need to effectively protect and strengthen the litigants’right of action,combined with its civil litigation system and judicial operation environment,China should adopt a phased and gradual strategy to introduce and implement the mandatory attorney system in civil litigation while constantly improving its lawyer system,litigation costs system,legal aid system,and other related supporting systems.

On the Expansion and Realization of the Right to Environmental Information in Environmental Protection Supervision

As an innovation in the environmental governance system that breaks the traditional hierarchical structure,environmental protection supervision has not only played a significant role in protecting tangible environmental rights but also expanded the basic scope of the right to environmental information—part of procedural environmental rights.In the supervision of environmental protection,the objects of the right to environmental information and the subjects of the obligation to provide environmental information have been both expanded,with the focus shifting from government information to Party information and from administrative organs to Party organs.This vividly demonstrates the Communist Party of China’s concrete efforts to protect human rights in the field of the endeavor to build an ecological civilization.At present,the realization of the right to environmental information in environmental protection supervision still faces problems such as insufficient standards and norms,disordered practice and operation,and lack of liability guarantee.In this context,based on renewing relevant subjects’cognition of the right to know in environmental protection supervision,we should further improve and specify the rule for disclosing information about environmental protection supervision,rationally distribute the obligations for information disclosure in environmental protection supervision,and clarify the accountability rules for violating relevant requirements for information disclosure,so as to promote the overall development of the environmental protection supervision system while guaranteeing the realization of the right to environmental information.

The Protection of Right of Minors to Express Their Opinions in Family Litigations

The right of minors to express their opinions in family litigations refers to minors,who have a certain degree of mental capacity and assertiveness,having the right to express their opinions on the arrangements or decisions related to themselves when the courts handle familial litigation cases involving their interests,and to request the courts hear their opinions.In essence,the right of minors to express their opinions in family litigations belongs to the basic procedural rights of minors as well as judicial beneficiary rights.As for the protection of the right of minors to express their opinions in family litigations,recognizing the status of minors as independent subjects of rights is the logical premise,the procedural guarantee for the rights of the substantive parties involved is the direct cause,and ensuring the best interests of children is the fundamental reason.In order to protect the right of minors to express their opinions in family litigations,China should standardize the mechanisms for judges to hear the opinions of minors directly,improve the mechanisms for family investigators,and establish mechanisms for representing the interests of minors.

The Core of the Chinese Democracy Is to Respect and Protect Human Rights——A Summary of the Academic Seminar on Chinese Democracy and Human Rights Protection

On March 26,2023,a Seminar on Chinese Democracy and Human Rights Protection was held,jointly organized by the National Human Rights Education and Training Base and the Human Rights Research Center of Central South University under the guidance of the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies.The event adopted a combination of online and offline channels.Over 30 experts and scholars from universities,research institutions,and practical departments across the country participated in extensive discussions on“Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Chinese Democracy and Protection of Human Rights.”The seminar aimed to focused on the essence,characteristics,advantages,and human rights implications of Chinese democracy and interpreted the concept of Chinese democracy and the protection of human rights through academic and theoretical methods.

The“Erga Omnes”of the Protection of Fundamental Human Rights and the“Complementary Protection”of Refugees Not Prescribed by the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951 and its Protocol in 1967 set Four Essentials to limit the definition of "refugee". The concept of complementary protection emerged in academia and practice for those who, though they do not have the essentials,are in need of protection. Complementary protection is considered not only a moral obligation, but also a legal obligation. Although as the result of developing the principle of "non-refoulement" in international law, "complementary protection" should be limited when economic and social rights are concerned. The development of the non-refoulement principle and the emergence of "complementary protection" are based on the Erga Omnes of human rights. The International Court of Justice has restricted the emergence and evolvement of obligations Erga Omnes within the scope of obligations concerning fundamental and non-derogable human rights, and therefore,the application of "complementary protection" in protecting economic and social rights has been limited. Only when the unbalance of economic and social rights has been serious enough to impact other fundamental human rights will the obligation of "complementary protection" ensue.

From the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to Building a Community with a Shared Future for Human Beings--The Past, Present, and Future of International Human Rights Protection

The UN Charter first of all affirmed the basic concept of international protection of human rights and opened up a broad space for international protection of human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is an important document in the development of the international human rights cause. It established a set of international standards for basic human rights, represents the world’s most important consensus on human rights, and contributes greatly to the creation of an international human rights legal system. The important theory put forward by President Xi Jinping to build a Community with a Shared Future for Human Beings, as a Chinese program for today s global major issues, also outlines a new blueprint for national human rights protection and will play a major role in promoting the development of China’s human rights and international human rights protection.

On the Right to the Protection of Personal Data as a Constitutional Right

The right to the protection of personal data is an important human right in the era of big data and a constitutional right based on the national protection obligation and the theory of human dignity,making it of special significance for the realization of citizenship in a digital society.It can be seen from an examination of the constitutional texts of various countries in the world that the right to the protection of personal data as a constitutional right has rich normative connotations,and the key legal link to realize this right lies in the national legislature actively fulfilling its obligation to shape and specify the protection of personal data in accordance with the entrustment of the constitutional norms.Given the constitutional principles of fundamental rights protection,i.e.,realizing the constitutional status of the right to the protection of personal data as a basic right by means of institutional guarantees,the legislature should first adhere to the constitutionality principle of data protection legislation.Second,a multi-level data protection legal system centered on the right to the protection of personal data should be established.Finally,the institutional guarantee mechanism for the protection of personal data should be continuously improved through constitutional interpretation.

The Centennial History and Significance of the Protection of the Rights and Interests of Persons with Disabilities by the Communist Party of China

The Communist Party of China has been concerned with the protection of the rights and interests of persons with disabilities since its founding.in the period of the new democratic Revolution and after the founding of the People’s Republic of China,it adopted a series of protective measures in various forms in line with local conditions.Since the reform and opening-up,the cause of persons with disabilities has developed in an all-around way under the leadership of the CPC.especially since the 18th national Congress of the Communist Party of China,the protection of human rights for persons with disabilities has been innovatively developed,and persons with disabilities have been truly participating in social affairs and share the country’s development gains as equal subjects of rights.The centennial history of the Party’s protection of the rights and interests of persons with disabilities shows that the CPC’s ideas of human rights protection consecutively comprise humanitarian assistance,humanitarian protection,and people-centered human rights protection.The main identity of persons with disabilities has changed from the object of protection during the revolution to the object of medical care and social welfare,and the subject of human rights.The content of protection of rights and interests has developed from survival assistance to comprehensive protection including education,rehabilitation,employment,etc.The dignity,autonomy,equality,and social participation of persons with disabilities as the subject of human rights have become increasingly prominent.

On the Criminal Protection of the Right to Education of Chinese Citizens——With a Review on Article 32 of the Amendment to the Criminal Law(Ⅺ)

The Amendment(Ⅺ)to the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China responds to the institutional needs of civic education,and supplements the clause of the Criminal Law on protection of citizens’right to education nuy means of Article 32.Imposing legal responsibility in the form of internal punishments,administrative punishments,and economic compensation have failed to prevent infringements on citizens’right to education.Its role as a"secondary protection law"is the conceptual obstacle that hinders the Criminal Law from effectively intervening in the field of citizens’right to education.The equivalence between the legal interests of people to the right to education and the rights protected by the existing charges in the Criminal Law is the legitimate basis for it to intervene in disputes over the right to education.Based on Article 32 of the Amendment(Ⅺ)to the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China,it is suggested to further clarify the prepositional law,improve the liability provisions for the right to education,change the modest and restrained view of the Criminal Law regarding protection of the right to education,and expand the behavior types of Article 32 provided in the Amendment(Ⅺ)in due time.

From "Criminal on Death Row" to "Acquittal of Charge"——A showcase of China's human rights protection in the administration of justice

In Januaury 1996, a case of murder shocked the seat of Qiaojia County in Yunnan Province. Eight years later, in February 2004, the county town was again astir with the news that the alleged murderer Sun Wangang returned home after being acquitted of the murder charge.

Judicial Protection of the Right To Environment——An analysis of a fishery pollution case

The Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Environmental Protection stipulates that every unit and individual is obliged to protect environment. The Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Marine Environment provides that those who are held liable for marine pollution that causes damage should eliminate the hazard and repay the losses. An example is the case of fishery pollution in Leting County, Hebei Province. The Case With a coastal line of 98 kilometers and a total area of beach land of 43,300 hectares, Leting at the Luanhe River Delta by the Bohai Sea claims the best beach land shell farms in China. In early October of 2000, the industrial

Boost the Modernization of Human Rights Protection Systems and Endeavor to Fulfill the Chinese Dream——An Address at the Opening Ceremony of the 7th Beijing Forum on Human Rights, Sept. 17, 2014

This session of the Forum has the theme, “The Chinese Dream： New Progress in the Cause of Human Rights in China.” This theme concentrates on such important subtopics as “The Chinese Dream and Human Rights” ,

The Protection of the Right to Dignity in the Connection and Interaction between the Constitution and Civil Law

In the report of 19;National Congress of the Communist Party of China,General Secretary Xi Jinping said that China seeks to"accelerate development of the crime prevention and control system,combat and punish in accordance with law all illegal and criminal activities such as pornography,gambling,drug abuse,gang violence,kidnapping,and fraud,and protect people’s personal rights,property rights,and right

The Development of a Law-based Society Contributes to the Legal Protection of Human Rights in China

Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up,the Party and the State have gained a richer and deeper understanding of human rights.In 1997,the 15;Communist Party of China National Congress Report put forward"respect for human rights".In 2004,the idea that"the State respects and protects human rights"was written into

Revisiting the Spirit of the UDHR and Discussing Human Rights Development——Summary of Views from the Seminar Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

On December 4,2023,the China Society for Human Rights Studies hosted a seminar in Beijing commemorating the 75^(th) Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.Participants discussed topics such as the significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,China’s theories and practices in respecting and safeguarding human rights,the three global initiatives and global human rights governance,human rights protection in the digital age,and telling Chinese stories of human rights in the new era.The discussions led to a broad consensus and achieved positive results.