—–一名法官的自述
作者：林小龙
编辑：赵杰 责任编辑：罗志飞 鲁慧文 翻译：鲁慧文
我是林小龙，曾任中国某地法院法官。怀揣着对法律的敬畏和对公平正义的执着，我走进了法庭，立志用法律捍卫社会公正。然而，现实的残酷远超想象，我目睹并经历了司法系统中令人痛心的腐败现象，这些腐败不仅蚕食着司法的独立性，也严重破坏了公众对法律的信任。
司法，本应是国家权力体系中最为公正、独立的存在，是保护公民权利和社会公平的最后一道防线。但在实际工作中，我发现司法系统被权力和利益所左右。许多案件的判决并非依据法律条文和事实，而是取决于政治意愿和利益交换。法官的裁量权被严重限制，司法独立沦为一句空话。
回想起本人处理的一起拆迁案件，村民因非法强拆遭受巨大损失，依照法律应得到公正补偿和合法保护。然而，在上级的干预下，公正判决被扭曲，权力介入使案件结果偏离法律轨道。我因坚持依法裁判，维护弱势群体的合法权益，遭受领导的责难和警告，甚至被冠以“不服从组织”、“破坏稳定”的罪名。类似的经历不止一次，逐渐让我意识到，司法腐败已经深深扎根于体制内部。
不仅如此，法院内部还存在着诸多以权谋私的行为。法官被迫参与政治学习，使用被监控的手机强制接受党派教育，拒绝者面临扣发奖金、职业前途受阻等惩罚。公正的司法环境被扭曲成对政权的维护工具，法律的权威和公信力因此不断流失。
司法腐败的危害远不止案件本身，它削弱了社会对法律的信赖，破坏了公平正义的根基。普通民众看到法律变成了一种“权力工具”，他们的合法权益无法得到保护，社会矛盾因此加剧，法治社会的梦想渐行渐远。
作为一名法律工作者，我深感责任重大。面对司法腐败，我曾试图在体制内发声，倡导司法独立和公正，但现实的压力与阻碍让这条路异常艰难。最终，我不得不选择辞职，离开这片我深爱却又充满伤痛的土地，寻求一个能够实现法律理想的环境。
在流亡海外的日子里，我依然关注着中国的司法现状，期盼有一天司法能够真正摆脱腐败的阴霾，回归独立、公正的本质。我坚信，唯有法律的独立和权威得到维护，社会才能实现真正的公平和稳定，人民才能拥有应有的权利和尊严。
司法腐败是一场深刻的社会危机，需要法律工作者、社会公众和国际社会的共同关注与努力。只有坚持法治原则，推动司法体制改革，强化司法监督机制，才能根除腐败，重建公众对司法的信任。
我愿用自己曾经的经历，呼吁所有法律从业者坚守法律底线，守护司法独立；呼吁社会各界关注司法公正，推动法治进步；呼吁每一个热爱自由与正义的人，携手努力，让法律真正成为社会公平正义的守护者。
司法的未来，关乎每个人的命运。让我们共同守护这道公平的防线，不让腐败蒙蔽正义的光辉。
The Shadow of Judicial Corruption
Confessions of a Former Judge
By Lin Xiaolong
Editor: Zhao Jie Executive Editors: Luo Zhifei, Lu Huiwen Translation: Lu Huiwen
My name is Lin Xiaolong, a former judge at a local court in China. I entered the courtroom with reverence for the law and a deep commitment to fairness and justice. I aspired to use the law to defend social equity. However, the harsh reality far exceeded my imagination. I witnessed and personally experienced heartbreaking corruption within the judicial system—corruption that not only erodes the independence of the judiciary but also seriously undermines public trust in the law.
The judiciary is supposed to be the most impartial and independent institution within a state’s power structure. It should be the final safeguard for citizens’ rights and social justice. Yet in practice, I found the judicial system deeply manipulated by power and vested interests. Many court rulings were not based on legal statutes or factual evidence, but on political directives and behind-the-scenes deals. Judges’ discretion was heavily constrained, and judicial independence became an empty slogan.
I recall a land seizure case I once presided over. Villagers suffered great losses due to illegal demolition. According to the law, they should have received fair compensation and legal protection. However, due to interference from higher authorities, the just outcome was distorted. Political intervention derailed the case from its legal course. Because I insisted on a lawful judgment and stood up for the rights of the vulnerable, I was reprimanded and warned by superiors. I was even labeled as “disobedient to the organization” and “disruptive to stability.” This was not an isolated incident. Over time, I came to realize that judicial corruption had deeply taken root within the system.
Worse still, the court system was rife with self-serving practices. Judges were compelled to participate in political indoctrination, using state-monitored phones to receive mandatory party propaganda. Those who refused faced penalties such as withheld bonuses and career setbacks. A just legal environment was twisted into a tool for maintaining authoritarian control. As a result, the authority and credibility of the law were continually eroded.
The harm caused by judicial corruption extends far beyond individual cases. It corrodes the public’s confidence in the law and undermines the very foundation of justice. When ordinary people see the law reduced to a “tool of power,” and realize their legitimate rights cannot be protected, social tensions inevitably intensify, and the dream of a rule-of-law society drifts further out of reach.
As a legal professional, I felt an immense sense of responsibility. I tried to speak out from within the system, advocating for judicial independence and fairness. But the pressure and obstacles made this path nearly impossible. Ultimately, I chose to resign and leave behind the land I loved but had become so painful to remain in, seeking an environment where I could still pursue my ideals of justice.
Now living in exile, I continue to follow the state of China’s judicial system. I long for the day when the judiciary can truly cast off the shadow of corruption and return to its essential principles of independence and impartiality. I firmly believe that only when judicial authority and independence are safeguarded can society achieve genuine fairness and stability, and the people possess the rights and dignity they deserve.
Judicial corruption is a profound social crisis. It demands the collective attention and effort of legal professionals, the general public, and the international community. Only by upholding the principles of the rule of law, advancing judicial reform, and strengthening oversight mechanisms can we eliminate corruption and rebuild public trust in justice.
With my own experience, I call on all legal practitioners to hold fast to the bottom line of the law and defend judicial independence.
I urge all sectors of society to pay close attention to judicial fairness and push forward the progress of legal reform. I appeal to every person who loves freedom and justice: let us work together to make the law a true guardian of fairness and equity.
The future of justice concerns the fate of us all. Let us protect this final line of fairness together—never let corruption obscure the light of justice.
