The Third Global Forum on the Rule of Law, also called the International Forum on the Future Rule of Law and Digital Law, was successfully held on December 17-18, 2022. The forum was sponsored by Renmin University of China, Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and JD.com, and organized by Law School, Asia Reasearch Center, Law and Technology Institute of Renmin University of China and JD Legal Research Institute. More than fifty experts and scholars from courts, academia and law industry at home and abroad attended the forum and delivered speeches, with tens of thousands of audiences watching online.
The opening ceremony of the forum was hosted by Professor Wang Yi, Vice President of Renmin University of China and Director of Law and Technology Institute of Renmin University of China. Wang delivered a speech on behalf of Prof. Lin Shangli, President of Renmin University of China, saying that human society has entered into a digital era where the rapid development of digital technology has brought significant opportunities to human civilization but has also given rise to new challenges such as digital discrimination and digital divide. We should join hands together to build a high-level research hub for digital rule of law through exchange and cooperation.
Miao Xiaohong, Senior Executive Vice President of JD.com, introduced the company’s compliance philosophy, its initiatives to serve the development of the real economy, and its multiple activities in fulfiling social responsibility. As a representative on the enterprise side, she pointed out that corporate compliance is indispensable to the rule of law, and that the digital economy should be integrated with the real economy in order to better contribute to high-quality economic development.
The invited speech session was hosted by Zhang Jiyu, Associate Professor of Law School of Renmin University of China and Executive Director of Law and Technology Institute of Renmin University of China. Jiang Wei, Vice President of the Chinese Law Society, gave a speech entitled “Smart Judicial Trial Model with Chinese Characteristics” and shared the picture of smart judicial trial in China, which features in networked litigation process, platform-based trial operation, intelligent trial assistance, and systematic online procedures. In the application of digital technology in courts, judicial officers need to pay attention to digital divide and over-reliance on artificial intelligence and strive to achieve digital justice at a higher level.
Professor Wang Liming from the Law School of Renmin University of China gave a lecture entitled “Data Protection in the Civil Law”. He said that the protection of data is a comprehensive project, and the adoption of public law protection also requires the cooperation and coordination of civil law. Data right itself is a civil right prescribed by the Civil Code, so the affirmation of data right in civil law is the precondition for all laws to ensure the protection of data. Since data is related to many systems and fields in the civil law, it’s imperative to build a complete civil law mechanism for data protection.
Professor Anupam Chander from School of Law of Georgetown University gave a lecture entitled “The Global South in AI Futures”, in which he discussed the use of AI technologies, which is currently under the control of other countries, in the global south, whether AI technologies can be localized enough for global trade, and how a responsible AI technology can identify regional differences in order to improve the livelihood of people around the world.
Professor Hwang LEE from School of Law of Korea University presented ” The Changes of Global Economic Landscape and Digital Platform Regulation,” in which he pointed out that the global supply chains support the development of various industries worldwide, but the impact of globalization differs around the globe. How to achieve common development through cooperation, including the global governance of digital paltforms, is an important issue in today’s world.
More than fifty experts and scholars from China, the United States, Germany, Israel and other countries participated in six units during the forum, including ” Theoretical Basis and Core Proposition of Digital Rule of Law,” “Panel Discussion (Law School and Court),” “Personal Information Protection and Data Factor Market,” “Algorithm and Platform Governance,” “Theory and Practice of Digital Rule of Law,” and “Competition, Intellectual Property Protection and Data Regulation in Digital Economy.”
