Xinfang, petitioning, is a legal concept in China that allows for administrative hearings that exist outside of the civil and criminal courts. The idea behind the petitioning system was to allow for review and better outcomes for victims of negligent actions by individuals or corporations. The author notes examples where many of the petitions would have offered greater compensation as compared to the judicial-route. Quite often the level of proof for the connection between the damage and the action is much lower than the judiciary would require. Pair these two things together and it is significantly abused in certain areas, and too often utilized when other judiciary routes may be better for the body of legal precedent-setting across the nation. The Courts Reform plan was intended to create greater efficiencies in the judiciary, encouraging more disputes to be resolved in the courts and not through petitioning. Because of this inefficiency, there has been a remarkably greater use of petitioning in the 21st century, well beyond what was otherwise anticipated. The Chinese judiciary system has suffered from a crisis of authority. The public has greater expectations and demands for the most positive outcome for their side. At the same time these same individuals see the judiciary as less developed and competent than the administrators that are tasked with the petitioning process.
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