Life was too tough, so I quit

He Wei, 33, a former court official who faced an uphill battle to become a judge, resigned in June.

In 2011, along with seven other law graduates, I was excited to start work at the court. I had to pass a civil service exam and then a judicial exam. They are two of the toughest tests in the country and many people fail them several times.

Newcomers are required to undertake a one-year qualification period and then a further year of training.