The Law of the People's Republic of China on International Criminal Judicial Assistance was adopted at the 6th Session of the Standing Committee of the Thirteenth National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on October 26, 2018. On December 9, 2018, the Seminar “the Legislation on and Practice of International Criminal Judicial Assistance in China”, the first high-end academic seminar on international criminal judicial assistance since the promulgation of the law was organized the International Criminal Law Department of CASS Institute of International Law in Beijing. The seminar was attended by over 40 Chinese and foreign experts and scholars from the Constitution and Law Committee of the National People’s Congress, the Supreme People’s Court, the Department of International Cooperation and the Judicial Assistance Exchange Center of the Ministry of Justice, CASS, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Beijing Normal University, China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beihang University, CASS University, Nankai University, Tianjin University, Henan University of Economics and Law, University of Freiburg, and University of Munich.

At the first unit of the seminar, presided over by Professor Fan Wen, Director of International Criminal Law Research Center of CASS Institute of International Law, keynote speeches were given by Professor Chen Zexian, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Branch of International Criminal Law Association, Vice Chairman of the Criminal Research Committee of China Law Society and a research fellow at CASS Institute of International Law, and Professor Zhou Guangquan, Vice Chairman of the Constitution and Law Committee of the National People’s Congress, Vice Chairman of the Criminal Law Research Committee of China Law Society and a Professor at Tsinghua University. In his speech, Professor Chen Zexian pointed out that the Law on International Criminal Judicial Assistance is a combination of different laws, covering both procedure law and substantive law. It also contains legal provisions on the prevention of corruption and enforcement of law. As such, it is a scientific and precise law. Professor Zhou Guangquan, as a participant in the drafting of the Law on International Criminal Judicial Assistance, introduced the background and characteristics of the law, highlighting the successes of the law in upholding state sovereignty and safeguarding human rights, while pointing out its great significance in promoting the anti-corruption work and strengthening the international cooperation in criminal justice. In the four units that followed, the participants gave speeches and carried out discussions on various issues around the topics of “Chinese legislation on and practice of international criminal judicial assistance”, “foreign legislation on and practice of international criminal judicial assistance”, “trial in absentia in international criminal judicial assistance” and “evidence in international criminal judicial assistance”.