The Chinese judiciary is subject to the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. Lawyers cannot function independently, as the Ministry of Justice has significant control over lawyers, law firms and bar associations.
Lawyers also face frequent harassment from the authorities.
In Tibet, particularly, political detainees are deprived of even elementary safeguards of the due process of law.
The independence of the judiciary was further eroded in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region with the judgements in the right to abode cases.
Attacks on Justice 2000 – China [full text, PDF]