Author
Prof Ma Changshan
Organisation/Institution
East China University of Political Science and Law
Country
CHINA
Panel
Law and Society
Title
A Transferable Model of Judicial Reform: Insights from China's Digital Justice Practice for Asian Contexts
Abstract
Driven by artificial intelligence and large models, it is increasingly possible for intelligent justice to embody a crucial path for Asia's rule of law modernization. Against this backdrop, Asian legal scholars need to explore the empowerment of intelligent justice for Asian judicial reform based on Chinese-style intelligent justice practice. China has explored a development path with Chinese characteristics in digital justice practice—the model of "multilevel coordination–local exploration–government-academia cooperation." Top-level design specifies guiding principles and institutional frameworks, promoting the deep integration of digital technology and justice. Active grassroots-level practical feedback enables upward data transmission and top-down institutional development for effective multilevel coordination. Additionally, digital judicial reform concerns regional characteristics and allows for locally-tailored exploration. Shanghai, leveraging its advanced digital infrastructure and high caseload, has established the "Five Digital Aids" mechanism to assist adjudication. Hangzhou, based on the Internet ecosystem, has pioneered Internet court initiatives and created a new model of "online hearings and intelligent adjudication", becoming a global leader in Internet justice. China's digital justice evolution has been accompanied by intensive interaction between public authorities and academia. Recently, cooperation between judicial bodies and colleges, alongside research institutions, has become increasingly frequent. Through events like high-level forums, they continuously foster a governance pattern where judicial practice and theoretical research promote and complement each other. Looking ahead, internationally, China's experience can provide Asian countries with a localized digital rule of law path to follow, helping to build a theoretical system for digital rule of law that fits regional realities. After conducting an in-depth analysis of the necessity and rationality of adopting digital justice in Asian countries in this paper ,Asian countries can explore independent development paths based on their legal traditions and technological conditions, avoiding the simple imitation of Western models and promoting the diverse advancement of global digital justice civilization.
Biography
You Bohao is a second-year undergraduate student majoring in Civil and Commercial Law at East China University of Political Science and Law（ECUPL）, maintaining an outstanding GPA of 3.99/4.0. In 2025, he was awarded the Second Prize of the Comprehensive Scholarship at ECUPL. He currently serves as a Review Editor for the university journal named LawandFinance Journal, reviewing manuscripts in corporate law, commercial law, trust law, and economic law. He co-authored the paper "Balancing Robustness and Reliability: Theoretical and Practical Pathways for Optimizing Legal Large Language Models in China," currently under review at Artificial Intelligence and Law. His research interests include digital justice, digital rule of law, and intellectual property law.
