Introduction:
This is a 2-year project from April, 2005 to March 2007, which is funded by the Global Opportunities Fund and jointly run by the British Council and the Procedural Law Research Centre of the China University of Political Science and Law. The purpose of the project is to improve the protection to defendants in the criminal trial procedure.

Project activities:

• Sino-British workshop on Criminal Trial Procedure Reform was held at Intermediate People’s Court, Dongying city in August 2005.
• A Chinese delegation composed of judges selected from local courts and academics from the Procedural Law Research Centre undertook a study visit in UK and obtained first hand information about UK criminal trial system and its latest development in September 2005.
• An Empirical research on criminal trial procedure reform to promote judicial justice by setting up specific rules was carried out at 5 municipal level pilot courts by Chinese partner –PLRC from July to October, 2006.
• The Legislation recommendation workshop titled Sino-British Seminar on Criminal Trial Procedure Reform was held from 25-26 November 2006 at Kunming city. Lord Gill and Bruce Houlder QC gave presentation respectively at the seminar. Two experts shared with their counterparts on “the Process of Cross-examination”, “the Position and Function of the Defence Barrister in England and Wales during Trial”. The Chinese representatives reported the achievement of the empirical research at the workshop as well.
• An expert draft of the new legislation to amend the Criminal Trial Procedure will be submitted to the legislative body for the legislation reference.