The project is part of a comprehensive and comparative research on Public Order Administration, which was carried out by Legislative Affairs Office, State Council (LAO). We have been working with LAO on the Public Order Legislation study since June 2002 and jointly organised the Sino-British Workshop on Legislation of Public Order Administration on 9-10 January 2003.

The study and the workshop, drawing on research from home and abroad assessed the need to review and revise outdated laws and to balance police power necessary for maintaining public order while protecting citizens rights against the arbitrary use of power.