Chapter 7: The Corruption of Law
Bab 7: Korupsi Hukum Lao Can mengungkap kasus-kasus ketidakadilan hukum di mana orang kaya dan berkuasa dapat membeli kebebasan mereka, sementara orang miskin menderita.
Law should be a tool for upholding justice, but in the late years of the Qing Dynasty, law became a means of oppressing the people. Lao Can saw the corruption of law during his journey.
Many judges and officials utilized law to seek private interests. They accepted bribes, perverted justice for private ends, allowing those with reason to lose lawsuits and those without reason to win lawsuits. This situation made the people completely lose confidence in law.
The conditions of prisons were also shocking. Many innocent people were detained in prisons, suffering various kinds of abuse. The management of prisons was chaotic, and the living conditions of prisoners were extremely harsh.
Lao Can also saw the inequality of law. The wealthy and the powerful could escape legal sanctions through money and connections, while the poor often became the victims of law.
Lao Can recorded all these situations. He believed that legal reform was necessary. Only by establishing a just and effective legal system could the rights of the people be truly protected and social justice be maintained.