Chapter 7: The Corruption of Law
Capítulo 7: A Corrupção da Lei
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.
Lao Can viu a corrupção da lei durante sua jornada.
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.
Muitos juízes e oficiais utilizavam a lei para buscar interesses privados. Eles aceitavam subornos, pervertiam a justiça para fins privados, permitindo que aqueles com razão perdessem processos e aqueles sem razão ganhassem processos. Essa situação fez o povo perder completamente a confiança na lei.
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.
As condições das prisões também eram chocantes. Muitas pessoas inocentes eram detidas em prisões, sofrendo vários tipos de abuso. A gestão das prisões era caótica, e as condições de vida dos prisioneiros eram extremamente duras.
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 também viu a desigualdade da lei. Os ricos e poderosos podiam escapar das sanções legais através de dinheiro e conexões, enquanto os pobres frequentemente se tornavam vítimas da lei.
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.
Lao Can registrou todas essas situações. Ele acreditava que a reforma legal era necessária. Somente estabelecendo um sistema legal justo e eficaz os direitos do povo poderiam ser verdadeiramente protegidos e a justiça social mantida.