The Politicization of the Chinese National Judicial Examination, 2007–2012

The introduction of a unified judicial examination marked an important step toward legal professionalization in China. Following a conservative turn in judicial reforms between 2007 and 2012, political content was included in the exam. On the basis of exam texts, model answers, and legal and other documents, this article investigates the content of political questions on the judicial exam. The analysis of exam questions reveals the party-state’s perception of the law-politics nexus and the significance of the political content of the exam for aspiring legal professionals. Candidates learn that they have to grasp the current party ideology in order to be able to deliver the correct interpretation of the law for serving the “overall political situation.” The article argues that the examination questions imply that political guidelines serve as an instrument for fine-tuning the application of law according to new policy aims as well as social and economic change