Legal drama revisits the evolution of China's judicial system

When director Shen Yan received the draft script of Forging Justice by veteran screenwriter Zhao Dongling, which chronicles the evolution of China's judicial system, he was so engrossed that he read it from beginning to end in one sitting.

Spanning the 18 years from the rebuilding of the judicial system in 1979 to the major revisions to the Criminal Law in 1997, the drama follows five law school graduates as they embark on careers in different areas of the legal system, including the courts, procuratorates and law firms. Through more than 10 cases, it traces the changing legal concepts and practices that shaped this period.

"What hooked me most was not the complexity of the cases, but the people involved in them — their dreams and struggles as they were caught up in the sweeping changes of those 18 years," Shen recalled during a recent seminar held in Beijing.

All the cases in the drama are adapted from real-life events that contributed to the development of China's judicial system.

Zhao said she had mixed feelings about the drama's release. As a story about the pioneering years of China's judicial system, it inevitably required the creative team to confront some of the shortcomings in the legal system at the time. Despite the pressure, she said, the positive online response had encouraged her and given her the confidence to begin writing a sequel to Forging Justice.

Peng Cheng, deputy director of the Film and Television Center of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, said the drama had taken 1,214 days to develop and produce, from its initial conception to its broadcast. He said its reception demonstrated the market potential of stories adapted from real-life cases and the appeal of legal-themed dramas to audiences.