On the evening of March 27, 2012, People’s Court Judge Shang Xiuyun delivered a lecture titled “The Theory and Practice of China’s Juvenile Trials: Protecting the Legal Rights of Minors through Prudent Trials." Because of her work with juveniles, Judge Shang is commonly referred to as the "Mother Judge."
Judge Shang presented the juvenile trial process—from procedural and substantive perspectives—elaborating on the unique circumstances of minors’ trials, and then expounded on the importance of “giving priority to education, punishment only acting as a companion to education, and fusing trials with education.” Judge Shang enumerated the various components of the juvenile systems and the desirable outcomes. She also demonstrated how minors are protected during proceedings by showing pictures of specially designed trial courts for minors.
Judge Shang shared her experiences—including cases—with the captive audience. She concluded her lecture by telling theaudience: “saving a child means saving a family. It is my sacred duty to add a ray of light for the future.”
