Legal Ethics On Two Sides Of The Taiwan Strait: A Comparative And Empirical Study Of Ethical Values Of Law Students In China And Taiwan

Abstract

Recent literature on legal ethics, professionalism and legal education has shown that little is known about the ethical values of law students in Asia, particularly law students in China and Taiwan. This paper reports on the findings of a study on the ethical values of law students in these two Chinese societies, which is part of a wider study of the values of law students in the Asian Region. It adapted a questionnaire from the study of values of Australian law students by Evans and Palermo and sought the responses that Chinese law students made to eight scenarios containing different ethical dilemmas. It evaluates what values are empirically important in determining the decisions of law students in China and Taiwan towards such scenarios. It also explores the value orientations of law students and gender differences in the value hierarchies of law students in these two societies. This paper is significant as it represents the first empirical legal research project undertaken in China and Taiwan on the values of their law students. It also contributes to academic discourse on professional socialization of law schools and value system of law students in the Asian Region, and also contributes to the teaching of legal ethics and professionalism as well as the reform of law school curriculum in Asian Region