• Fri   • Dec 6, 2013   • Updated: 10:32am CommentInsight &
Opinion  Shanghai judges' jolly with prostitutes provokes noisy
chorus of media criticism  The sacking of four judges tells us
much about the mainland's legal system and perverse incentives
to gain promotion  PUBLISHED : Sunday, 11 August, 2013, 12:00am
UPDATED : Sunday, 11 August, 2013, 8:17am  Four judges from
Shanghai's high court dined with building contractors one Sunday
evening in June. They then went to a night club, sang karaoke,
drank alcohol and then trooped off to visit prostitutes. They
were caught on tape and exposed online by a mysterious whistle-
blower on August 2.  By Tuesday, they had all been sacked.  The
judges had "split values", the Guangming Daily pronounced,
noting that mainland law was clear on the prohibition of
prostitution, so the judges knew what they were doing was
illegal.  If the judges had come face-to-face with the
prostitutes in court, "they probably would have put on a stern
face and unleashed harsh words", the comm