"Playing the lawyer's part as a fresh force" better: study and reflection on the 19th Congress

"The report to the 19th Congress stresses ruling the country by law and protecting intellectual property, laying a solid foundation for building a country of innovation."

"Only by standing at the head of the tide and going on studying the newest theory of the 19th Congress can lawyers better play their part as a 'fresh force', and put the purpose of 'serving the people' into practice" ...

At the end of October Shanghai Minton Law Firm held a study session for its staff on the theme "Welcoming the 19th Congress, building the Chinese dream together: do not forget the original aspiration, let the dream fly", so as better to grasp and understand the significance of the congress. Members of the firm spoke about what they had learned from its spirit in the light of their own work.

At the session the director of the firm presided, and gave a detailed explanation of three matters: the theme of the congress, the structure of the report, and an introduction to the standing committee. He began with the theme: "Do not forget the original aspiration, keep the mission in mind, hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, secure a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, strive for the great victory of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, and work tirelessly for the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." Keeping close to that theme, he then gave an explanation of the new thinking advanced at the 19th Congress that was both plain and focused, and introduced the main content of the report.

It is worth noting that the report to the 19th Congress contains many important passages on comprehensively advancing the rule of law. The report states expressly the new judgment on the rule of law: that comprehensively ruling the country by law is an essential requirement and an important guarantee of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The director pointed out that "making clear the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform" and "making clear the overall goal of comprehensively advancing the rule of law" are important elements of the "eight clarifications" of the thinking on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era. "Upholding the comprehensive rule of law" is likewise an important part of the "fourteen points" of the basic strategy for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Combining the theory of rule of law construction in the spirit of the 19th Congress with practice, the director set out the relevant knowledge for members of the firm.

The session further strengthened the members' understanding of the core meaning of the spirit of the 19th Congress, and made clear where that spirit meets the work of the firm, achieving a certain practical effect in building consensus within the team.

After the session the Minton lawyers expressed their own thoughts and reflections:

Minton lawyer: Liu Jiaqian

"Taking an active part in public welfare work, to contribute to raising the legal literacy of the whole nation and building a great modern socialist country."

Comprehensively ruling the country by law is an essential requirement and an important guarantee of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The principal contradiction in Chinese society at this stage has changed to that between the people's ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development. And "supply-side structural reform", "speeding up the building of an innovative country", "implementing the rural revitalisation strategy", "implementing the strategy of coordinated regional development", "accelerating the improvement of the socialist market economy" and "promoting a new pattern of comprehensive opening" have become the six tasks of building a modernised economic system.

Looking over the spirit of the report to the 19th Congress, it is not hard to see that narrowing the gap between rich and poor and coordinating regional development will be the key direction of national construction in future.

As legal workers, lawyers should keep pace with the building of the rule of law, actively cooperate with judicial reform, keep abreast of newly enacted laws and regulations and the related judicial interpretations, and take an active part in public welfare work, so contributing to raising the legal literacy of the whole nation and to building a great modern socialist country.

Minton lawyer: Pan Anqi

"Standing at the head of the tide, walking in the forefront of the times in practising the spirit of reform and innovation."

As President Xi pointed out, the situation at home and abroad is undergoing profound and complex changes, and he used six phrases in succession: climb high and look far, be alert to danger in times of peace, be bold in change, be bold in innovation, never ossify, never stagnate. In the report to the 19th Congress the character for "change" appears forty-three times. This accords with the tide of the present age, and embodies the spirit of reform and innovation that walks in the forefront of the times.

Only by standing at the head of the tide, going on studying the newest theory of the 19th Congress, joining theory to practice, taking root among the people and keeping close contact with them, can lawyers better play their part as a "fresh force" and put the purpose of "serving the people" into practice.

Minton lawyer: Wang Xiangyang

"Ruling the country by law lays a solid foundation for building a country of innovation."

In the report to the 19th Congress, three priority areas were fixed this year for forestalling financial risk and dealing with disorder in the banking market: interbank business, wealth management and off-balance-sheet business. This is to some extent because those three areas cover the more conspicuous points of risk, such as shadow banking and the property bubble.

Ruling the country by law remains a keyword of the 19th Congress:

The report to the 19th Congress stresses ruling the country by law and protecting intellectual property, laying a solid foundation for building a country of innovation. In "governing the Party strictly", the determination to "gnaw at the hard bone" and the courage to "cut off one's own wrist" in fighting corruption remain strong, and a series of moves to "swat the flies and beat the tigers" has purified the political ecosystem.

Minton lawyer: Zhou Ming

"Standing on one's own work, not forgetting the original aspiration."

As an ordinary lawyer who is a Party member, I will study earnestly and understand deeply the spirit of the 19th Congress, and work tirelessly for the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

At the same time I will respond actively to the call of the Ministry of Justice, the Shanghai Municipal Justice Bureau and the Party committee of the national lawyers' profession at every level to study the spirit of the 19th Congress fully and earnestly; standing on my own work, I will understand it deeply and study it actively, consciously bringing my thinking and action into line with it, keeping a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee headed by Comrade Xi Jinping in political standpoint, political direction, political principle and political path, and making the contribution a lawyer who is a Party member should make.

It may be foreseen that under the leadership of the Party the road of China's socialist construction will grow ever wider. In the community of nations the dragon of the East has long since begun to rise, spreading China's "good voice" to the world through the Belt and Road and other channels, and contributing Chinese wisdom to building a new type of state relations based on peaceful development and win-win cooperation.

"Let others praise the colour as they will; leave only a clear air filling heaven and earth." The 19th Congress has pointed out a new direction for lawyers' work. Minton Law Firm will not forget its original aspiration, will keep its mission in mind, will do all its work well, will let the spirit of the 19th Congress guide its future work and life, and will give full play to the important function of lawyers in comprehensively advancing the rule of law.