General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW6348 / JDOC6348 |
| Course name: | Equality Rights in China (in Putonghua) |
| Programme offered under: | LLM Programme / JD Programme |
| Semester: | First |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Course offered to non-law students: | No |
| Credit point value: | 9 credits / 6 credits |
1.2 Course description
Since the 1990s, Mainland China has progressively enacted a range of laws aimed at protecting the equal rights of particular groups, while anti-discrimination cases and related public debate have become increasingly visible. Public interest legal action has contributed to the development of equality rights law, but has also faced significant challenges. Using the principles of equality and non-discrimination in international human rights law as its analytical framework, this course offers a systematic examination of the development, application, and practical operation of equality rights law in Mainland China.
The course begins by introducing the basic concepts of equality and anti-discrimination, the relevant international norms, and the existing legal framework in Mainland China, while assessing the structural features and limitations of the current system. It then focuses on the protection of different groups, including women, sexual minorities, children, persons with disabilities, persons affected by health conditions, ethnic minorities, and persons disadvantaged by household registration or regional origin. Through close reading of legal texts, judicial decisions, and representative cases, the course analyses the progress and shortcomings of legal remedies for equality rights claims in Mainland China.
Building on this foundation, the course will further examine equality in a number of specific settings, including the workplace, digital spaces, and equality before the law. It will analyse the differential impact that the same legal framework may have on different groups, and explore the necessity and feasibility of comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, as well as the broader framework of state responsibility. Finally, the course situates legal norms within the historical trajectory of civil society efforts to advance equality rights in China. It introduces different legal advocacy strategies and analyses the institutional constraints and social conditions under which such advocacy operates, thereby evaluating the potential and limits of law as an instrument of social change. The course will be taught in Putonghua, with readings in both Chinese and English.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Yizhi Huang | yizhi@hku.hk | TBC | By email |
1.4 Course outline (for elective course)
| Please click the link here for the course outline (HKU Portal login required). |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Explain the core concepts, basic principles, and principal normative sources of equality and non-discrimination in international human rights law and in the law of Mainland China.
CLO 2 Identify and compare the major grounds of discrimination in Mainland China, as well as the extent to which different groups enjoy effective protection of their equality rights.
CLO 3 Apply legal texts, judicial decisions, and representative cases to analyse equality rights disputes in the workplace, digital spaces, and other specific contexts.
CLO 4 Evaluate the progress and shortcomings of existing legal frameworks, enforcement mechanisms, and legal remedies for the protection of equality rights.
CLO 5 Critically discuss the role of legal advocacy in advancing equality rights.
2.2 LLM and JD Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link:
LLM – https://course.law.hku.hk/llm-plo/
JD – https://course.law.hku.hk/jd-plo/
2.3 Programme Learning Outcomes to be achieved in this course
| PLO A | PLO B | PLO C | PLO D | PLO E | PLO F | |
| CLO 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 5 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Class participation | 10% | 1, 5 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Response paper (research proposal for final paper) | 20% | 1, 2, 3 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Group project (include panel presentation) | 30% | 1, 4, 5 | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Research paper | 40% | 1, 2, 3 | 1, 2,3, 4, 5 |
| *Feedback method (to be determined by course teacher) | |
| 1 | A general course report to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 2 | Individual feedback to be disseminated by email / through Moodle |
| 3 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 4 | Group review meeting |
| 5 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
To be advised by course convenor(s). See also Course Outline above.
3.3 Grading Criteria
Please refer to the following link: https://www.law.hku.hk/_files/law_programme_grade_descriptors.pdf
Learning Activities
4.1 Learning Activity Plan
| Seminar: | 3 hours / week for 11 teaching weeks |
| Private study time: | 9.5 hours / week for 11 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit unit is 25 ± 5 hours (ie. 150 ± 30 hours for a 6-credit course), which includes all learning activities and experiences within and outside of classroom, and any assessment task and examinations and associated preparations.
4.2 Details of Learning Activities
To be advised by course convenor(s).
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted on Moodle |
| Core reading list: | TBA |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/