Soundbites

"Justice shouldn't bow to injustice; legality shouldn't give way to illegality. That's a basic principle in our society. We should be brave when people offend against us, and it is even more important that bravery should be encouraged by our laws."

Ruan Qilin, a professor of law at China University of Political Science and Law

"A life for a life was a traditional idea of revenge in the past, not the rule of law in society today. Sometimes people are afraid to defend themselves when attacked because it's too hard to identify the legal basis for justifiable defense in practice. But justifiable defense shouldn't be encouraged too much, as its abuse may also make society disordered."