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This article uses data gathered from a survey that probed the career orientations and values of more than 1,000 law students in Beijing, Hong Kong and Taipei to examine the legal professionalism of future lawyers being trained under different legal education systems in Greater China. Our findings suggest that these future lawyers have a "materialistic" career orientation, although those studying in a system whose legal education goal is to train professional lawyers are more inclined to pursue professional legal ideals, and those trained in a system that emphasizes legal ethics are more likely to pursue public interest issues. On the basis of the findings, we argue that legal education systems in Greater China, while different in their traditions, share the same need to strengthen legal professionalism by according greater emphasis to legal ethics in their respective law school curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates empirically the ethical values of law students in Hong Kong in their final two years of legal education. It first analyses the demographics of these law students before examining their responses to different ethical dilemmas. The findings suggest that feminisation has taken place in Hong Kong law schools. The study also found that a new generation of law students is emerging in Hong Kong that put more emphasis on the value of work-life balance. Finally, the article argues that common law education has enhanced the professionalism of law students in Hong Kong and has contributed to their development of such professional values as ‘professional integrity’, ‘obedience to the law’ and ‘civil duty’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article reports on the changes in the principles and regulation in China that aims to strengthen the judicial ethics in nation. It notes that the Supreme People's Court of China promulgated a revised version of the Basic Principles of the Professional Ethics of Judges, together with a similar revised version of the Regulation on Judicial Behaviour, on December 6, 2010. It provides examples related to the changes in the principles, which outlines the general obligations that judges are to observe in discharging their duties. It also offers situations regarding the changes in the regulations, which presents detailed procedures for judges to follow in their daily administration of justice.

The article discusses the issue of legal ethics in China relative to the bribing of judges by lawyers. It cites three bribery cases which include the case of former President of City Western District People's Court Guo Shenggui who received a sentence of death penalty, the case of six lawyers in Anhui Province who bribed two judges of the Intermediate Level People's Court of Fuyang City and the President of Taihe County People's Court and the case of a client called Li Huaxin whose court litigation was dealt by the High Level People's Court of Guangdong Province. It notes the criminal sanctions inflicted to lawyers involved these cases including Zhang Ruping, Wu Min, Gao Guilan, and Jiang Lihua.

The article presents information on the measures taken by China for improving legal ethics regulation in local and national level. A focus is on the role of Supreme People's Court of China in restraining the law practice of the spouses and children of court leaders and trial judges within the jurisdiction of their court. The need of change of job or removal from the position of court leaderships is discussed. In case the party cadres and trial judges give resignation then they will be provided new posts with the same remuneration and rank. The problems related to judicial corruption are also discussed.

The article reports on the efforts of the city governments of Chungking, Beijing and Shanghai in China to deal with the ethical problems associated with the practices of lawyers and judges. The Chungking Department of Justice has decided to enforce administrative penalties on seven lawyers who were convicted of different offenses, and has adopted a system of public notice in which information about lawyers and law firms having disciplinary sanctions and penalties will be published on the internet. Meanwhile, a lawyer named Liu in Beijing has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment for receiving and giving bribes. Moreover, the Shanghai government has launched the one party withdrawal scheme calling judicial officers whose spouses were lawyers to withdraw from their positions.