When thinking about the real lives of our nation’s uppermost legal body, the imagination can run eluded, for no one really knows the secret lives of these very important people. Perhaps people such as judges have families, sons or wives, a dog or a goldfish? Whatever goes on behind the closed door to their lives is traditionally kept secret, and for good reason.
We the public can’t just go around knowing all about the ups and downs of our legal representatives now, can we? How much respect, or fear, for the law would that uphold? But what good is it doing for humanity if we continue to pigeonhole our policemen, judges and lawmakers into an almost robotically institutionalised role that they are to be only feared?
One could almost expect this from the Chinese government; a highly secretive group indeed. However, it is nice to see that, while the Chinese tend to have a hard time expressing their true emotions face-to-face like for which foreigners have a talent, their intent is there. It may be hidden behind their poker face or even heavily guarded wall, but the human touch surely lies within.
This summer it comes in the form of a song, “No. 75 Ninghai Lu”. Being one of downtown Nanjing City’s most recognisable streets, the judges of this particular courthouse have written and shot a song that is dedicated to the love of their career, building, colleagues and life’s work.
Crashing its WeChat page the day it was released, the music video reportedly hit more than a million views on the same day. The song earned the judges and their colleagues an outpouring of affection both from the legal community and internet fans. “This work, which reflects the working conditions of the judges in our country, has been called an “organised folk song” [and has] hit the hearts of many netizens in a short period of time”, reported The Paper.
The talent behind the hit are Judges Zhao Jun, Second Trial Division of the Jiangsu Provincial High People’s Court, and Zhu Rong, Director of the Integrated Coordination Department of the Executive Board of the Jiangsu Province High People’s Court. Their colleagues jokingly refer to the pair as the Lost Folk singers, for they have “hidden in their hearts a musical dream”.
An “old” judge whom worked in the same courthouse for 17 years said the song brought him to tears. The song touchingly tells the story of a young man, fresh out of university, entering the courthouse building for the first time. It showcases a lifetime of hard work and a bittersweet departure into retirement. Said to have been recorded on the judges phone in one day, whether the song was commissioned for publicity purposes or not, it has certainly won over the hearts of millions.
Clearly a sci-fi lover, Judge Zhao Jun is now not only an accomplished singer/songwriter, but also has to his name China’s Science Fiction Galaxy Award and the Global Chinese Science Fiction Nebula Award in recognition of his short story “Jinling District 12”. In addition, he is also the published author of “Never Compromise”, a novel that reflects the living conditions of judges, a topic he is clearly very passionate about.
This video can be watched here on the Sina web portal.
