Since 2015, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in collaboration with the Robert Bosch Stiftung foundation and the German Federal Bar Association (BRAK), has been organising the Sino-German exchange for lawyers, which continues to be unique in terms of both format and content. Alongside training for judges and public administration officials, the strengthening of the legal profession (lawyers) is essential for development into a nation grounded in the rule of law. As independent judicial bodies, lawyers not only provide a necessary counterweight to the state bodies, they also serve as mediators between the law and society. They help to propagate the law by informing citizens about it and giving them the opportunity to assert their rights in court.

The exchange aims to provide training opportunities for lawyers and to strengthen the Chinese law society, the All China Lawyers Association, through regular exchange of expertise and information. The long-term objective is to establish a lasting institutionalised exchange between Chinese and German lawyers as a professional and value-based foundation for the process of transforming the People’s Republic of China into a nation grounded in the rule of law. At events held annually, participants are sensitised to common legal issues arising in each other’s respective legal and cultural setting. Direct exchange deepens the mutual sector-specific understanding at an individual and institutional level and supports the process of forging professional and personal networks. A multiplier effect is ensured with follow-up events at which participants share their experiences with colleagues through publications or workshops after their return.

All Chinese and German lawyers are eligible to participate. The All China Lawyers Association and the German Federal Bar Association publish the planned exchanges and the topics that will be dealt with prior to the events and select the participants.

Our cooperation partner, the German Federal Bar Association, has published in its magazine an article on the exchange for lawyers, which can be downloaded from the internet (in German only: http://www.brak.de/w/files/05_zur_rechtspolitik/international/dt-china_brakmagazin_1_2016.pdf).