Judge wields gavel with evenhandedness and empathy

With her short, cropped hair and fair complexion, Song Yushui aims to always keep a smile. Her name, in Chinese, means water and fish. But make no mistake: Song's job is a serious one.

As president of the Haidian district court, Song, 43, has fought for justice over the past 16 years without any case complaints being lodged. She has handled nearly 2,000 cases, more than 300 of them complicated ones or involving emerging areas of law.

"She is a judge who perfectly used law to distinguish between right and wrong. Both losing and winning parties were persuaded by her reasonable analyses," a comment on her said on the website chinacourt.org. METRO interviewed Song to learn more about the spirit that encourages her to look forward.