The Mediation of Family Disputes in Contemporary China

The Mediation of Family Disputes in Contemporary China Michael Palmer • Shantou University Law School and Cheung Kong Centre for Negotiation and Dispute Resolution, China; SOAS School of Law and Centre of Chinese Studies, & Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (University of London); University of Notre Dame London Law Centre; Journal of Comparative Law. University of Navarra, 7 June 2012

Page 2 Left : A Corner of Cathay, by Adele Fielde, missionary to the Chaoshan (潮汕, cháoshàn) area. Right : A proposal of marriage in A Corner of Cathay, painting.

Location of Guangdong ( 广东) and Shantou (汕头) Page 3

Page 4 Left up: British Consulate, Swatow; Left Down: 1864 German Consulate, Swatow; Right: 1860 American Embassy Swatow

Minzu Road, Xiaogongyuan Shantou (‘Swatow’) Page 5

Outline ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION (A) THE CHINESE FAMILY (B) MEDIATION IN CHINA (C) INTRA-FAMILY DISPUTES (D) DIVORCE AND MEDIATION REFLECTIONS Readings Page 6

Broad features of the family, mediation, and the use of mediation in family disputes Core differences between ‘Western’ and ‘Chinese’ approaches to dispute resolution Key aspects of the treatment of family disputes Facilitative nature of ‘western’ approaches Evaluative approach adopted in China Page 7

INTRODUCTION The basic landscape of dispute resolution in mainland China since How the approach is applied to family the late disputes 1970 s (post-Mao) Aims? Page 8

INTRODUCTION, CONT l ‘ADR’ and the Chinese legal system • The late 1970 s • International influences • Chinese legal culture • A ‘harmonious society’ (hexie shehui: 和谐社会) Page 9

INTRODUCTION, CONT Rule of law or harmonious society? Tension between mediation and adjudication • 1990 s SPCt president XIAO Yang • PRC Constitution (1982) - a ‘rule of law state’ (yifa zhiguo: 依法治国) Changes in past few decades: – A shift towards formal justice – Resurgence of appreciation of informalism values Page 10

INTRODUCTION, CONT Typology of response ◊ Lumping or tolerating the problem ◊ Mediation ◊ Bilateral negotiations ◊ Umpiring ◊ Assisted bilateral negotiations ◊ Force Page 11

INTRODUCTION, CONT Mediation in Comparison: different Emphasis Anglo-American common law world • Ideal form: umpiring and “litigotiation” People’s Republic of China • Rely heavily on ‘mixing-in’ mediation • A cultural preference: – ◊ “lumping” – ◊ making concessions or rang (让) Page 12

(A) THE CHINESE FAMILY l The Importance of the family in China today l A key socio-economic entity l Official hukou (户口) l ‘robust’ birth control policies l Development of family law in the People’s Republic of China (1949 to today) l 1950 a revolutionary Marriage Law l 1980 Marriage Law l 2001 Marriage Law and following judicial interpretation Page 13

(A) THE CHINESE FAMILY, CONT l. Historical roots l Confucian ideology l Marriage and Family reform from 19 th century onwards Confucious (孔子, 孔夫子 Kǒng Fūzǐ, “Master Kong”, 551 -478 BC). Page 14

Left: “follow scientific development, construct harmonious family planning”; Right: “Control population, protect environment, cherish hoemland ”. Chinese family planning poster (计划生育, jìhuàshēngyù) Page 15

Chinese children with their Mother Page 16

(B) MEDIATION IN CHINA Historical depth – Western Zhou Dynasty (1146 to 771 BC) – Preference for mediation – China's 1982 Constitution – People’s Mediation Committees (人民调解委员会) Confucius and Mao Zedong A ‘harmonious society’ – Law on People’s Mediation 2010 post 1949 period Page 17

(B) MEDIATION IN CHINA, cont Differing forms of mediation • Community mediation (renmin tiaojie: 人民调解) • Administrative mediation (xingzheng tiaojie: 行政调解) • Judicial or court-based mediation (fayuan tiaojie: 法院调解 ) …or more colloquially (fayuan chumian tiaojie: 法院出面调解) Page 18

(B) MEDIATION IN CHINA, cont The meaning of ‘tiaojie’ • Evaluative mediator • A very active form of intervention • Well-institutionalized process Organisational framework: well-entrenched, well controlled • The Villagers’ Committees and • The Urban Residents’ Committees Page 19

(B) MEDIATION IN CHINA, cont The role of people’s mediator • Qualification • Pro-active Adjudication and court-based mediation • Mediation targets • Part of litigation process • Mediation statement (tiaojieshu: 调解书 ) Page 20

(C) INTRA-FAMILY DISPUTES Policy emphasis on securing a mediated outcome • Implementation assistance • Same judge • Type of family cases Children’s best interests? • Custody as example Page 21

“Harmonious human relationships, treasure the harmony” (和为贵, héwéiguì) Page 22

(D) DIVORCE AND MEDIATION Divorce • Low divorce rates • Complication in property issues Divorce by mutual consent • Two-fifths of all Chinese divorce Contested Divorce Applications • 1980: a breakdown in mutual affection (ganqing polie: 感情破裂) • 1989 Supreme People’s Court Opinion • 2001: Grounds for divorce Page 23

(D) DIVORCE AND MEDIATION, CONT Compensation for misconduct? • Serious misconduct • Matrimonial fault Domestic violence • Mediatory and administrative intervention • A matter of public Cohabitation • De facto marriage • Community mediation Page 24

New Judicial Interpretation Concerning the Application of the "Marriage Law of the PRC" (III) 2011 aroused controversies over property issues Page 25

Anti-domestic Violence poster Page 26

Divorce Procedure Page 27

REFLECTIONS Common law jurisdiction • Mediator People’s Republic of China • Active role • Highly evaluative and ‘educational’ • Important aspects of Chinese legal culture Page 28

Readings PALMER, Michael (2005) “On China’s Slow Boat to Women’s rights: Revisions to the Women’s Protection Law , 2005, ” in P. W. CHAN (ed. ) special issue of International Journal of Human Rights on Equality in the Asia Pacific, March 2007, Vol. 11, Nos. 1 -2, pp. 151 -177. Also as book chapter in Phil C. W. Chan (ed. ), Equality in Asia-Pacific: Reality or a Contradiction in Terms? (London: Routledge, 2007; Foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu), 200– 226 PALMER, Michael (2005) “Patriarchy, Privacy and Protection: Slowly conceptualising domestic violence in Chinese law, ” IN Natalia Iu. Erpyleva, Jane Henderson and M. Butler (eds. ) Forging a Common Legal Destiny: Liber Amicorum in honour of Professor W. E. Butler, London and New York: Wildy, Simmonds and Hill, 2005, pp. 786 -812. PALMER, Michael (2007) “Ma Xiwu, ” IN David S. Clarke (ed. ) Encyclopaedia of Law and Society: American and Global Perspectives, Los Angeles, London, New Delhi and Singapore, Sage Publications, 2007.

PALMER, Michael (2007) “Mediation in China, ” IN David S. Clarke (ed. ) Encyclopaedia of Law and Society: American and Global Perspectives, Los Angeles, London, New Delhi and Singapore, Sage Publications, 2007. PALMER, Michael (2007) “The Transformation of Family Law in Post. Deng China: Marriage, Divorce and Reproduction, ” The China Quarterly, No. 191, October 2007, pp. 675 -695; republished in March 2008 as Donald C. Clarke (ed. ) China’s Legal System: New Developments, New Challenges, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. PALMER, Michael (2010) “Administrative Suits and Harmonious Settlements: A Twilight Issue in the Legal Development of Contemporary China, ” Journal of Comparative Law, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 71 -78, (in “Global Wrongs and Private Law Remedies and Procedures”, Special Issue of the JCL, 2010, Guest Editor: Stathis Banakas) ROBERTS, Simon and Michael PALMER( 2005) Dispute Processes: ADR and the Primary Forms of Decision Making, Second Edition, London and New York: Butterworths Press – Chapter Four “Disputes and Disputes Processes” at pp. 79 -111, especially pp. 81 -85 on “Typologies of Response”.

PALMER, Michael (2012, forthcoming) “China: Bringing the Law Back In, ” in Elaine Sutherland (ed. ), The Future of Family and Child Law, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Forthcoming: proofs available upon request, as at April 15, 2012] PALMER, Michael (2012, forthcoming) “Rethinking Children’s Rights and Interests? : Economic Reform, Social Protection and Legal Culture in Post. Mao China, ” Journal of Comparative Law, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 260 -280, in “Using Legal Culture”, Special Issue of the JCL, 2011, Guest Editor: David Nelken) PALMER, Michael (2008) “The Development of the Legal System of the People’s Republic of China, ” IN Stanley N. Katz (ed. ) Oxford Encyclopaedia of Legal History, New York: Oxford University Press), 2008. PALMER, Michael (2008) “Adoption in Chinese Law, ” IN Stanley N. Katz (ed. ) Oxford Encyclopaedia of Legal History, New York: Oxford University Press, 2008.

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