City moves to increase understanding of laws, regulations

Shanghai will improve public education on laws, making law enforcers responsible for making residents more aware of the laws and regulations they are enforcing, authorities said on Wednesday.

“Public education on laws and regulations should be part of the work of the hundreds of thousands of law enforcers in the city, including lawyers, notaries, mediators and other legal service staff,” said Lu Weidong, director of the Shanghai Bureau of Justice.

The new scheme is part of a national program to enhance pubic awareness of laws, requiring all government agencies to be more active in spreading awareness of laws.

Lu also said that real cases could serve as important examples to help public raise awareness and understanding, adding the city will launch or authorize 10 digital platforms for interpreting law citing real cases.

Advertisements and competitions will also be organized to promote public legal awareness.

Community legal service centers will also be equipped with staff who can speak foreign languages and brochures will be produced in multiple languages to help expats understand Chinese laws and regulations.