People In The Know

The year 2016 will see several new laws taking effect in China. One of them is China's first bill against domestic violence, which will take effect on March the first. Seen as a landmark move to legally protect abuse victims, who have traditionally suffered in silence, the law formally defines domestic violence as physical, psychological and other harm inflicted by family members. The law will also streamline the process for obtaining restraining orders. Another highlight of the bill is that it covers people who are not related but live together. So how should we interpret the significance of this ground-breaking law for China? Which aspects should we pay special attention to?PIK speaks with Xu Shenjian, professor at Law School, at China University of Political Science and Law, Li Ying, Vice Dean at Law School, at China Women's University and Julia Broussard, Country Programme Manager at UN Women China Office, and her colleague Guo Ruixiang.