Xu Zhiyong, a prominent Chinese activist and attorney, has appealed his conviction for "gathering a crowd to disrupt order.” Xu argues that he was "simply exercising a citizen’s right to freedom of expression, which is guaranteed by the Constitution."

In appealing for a reversal of his conviction, Xu argues, "To sum up, the decision of the first instance distorted the basic facts and applied the law incorrectly. Spare any talk about rule of law in China if the second instance does not correct the decision of the first instance."

The city of Guangzhou, the sprawling capital of Guangdong province, announced the creation of “speedy trials” to try defendants who previously would have been incarcerated in re-education-through-labor camps.  Until the system was formally abolished last year, police had the authority to incarcerate individuals in re-education-through-labor camps for up to four years without presenting any evidence of wrongdoing.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Chinese legal expert Stanley Lubman argues that a recent speech delivered by Chairman Xi exposes the hollowness of prior official directives seemingly urging judicial reform and independence.