The Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee

“If, therefore, a judge is honest, then the people in his district will be at peace; and if the people are at peace, their manners and morals will be good.”

This quote from the narrator’s opening section gives readers an idea of how Chinese people in the 18th century perceived the relationship between statesmen and the general population. The secular legal system is connected to the spiritual world, as one influences the other.

“Therefore it can be said that the amelioration of the common people depends on the honesty of the magistrate; never yet has a dishonest official improved the people under him.”

This passage highlights the connection between the legal and the social by emphasizing the magistrate’s personal responsibility toward the people under his rule. He is charged with solving murders and other bureaucratic tasks, and he has a duty to perform well not for his own sake but for the benefit of those under his power.

“Now I, as district magistrate am considered as the father and mother of the people here. I cannot but see to it that the murder is avenged. Only then can I face our Sovereign on high, and the common people below.”

This quote helps Western readers understand the magistrate’s role. The phrase “the father and mother” indicates how diverse and wide-ranging a judge’s duties are. He is in charge of opening cases, investigating crimes, finding evidence, conducting interrogations, sentencing, and executing said sentences. He must also report to his superiors. He is in charge both of the legal and practical affairs of his district, as well as the spiritual and moral well-being of his subordinates. In other words, he must care for all of his people’s needs the way parents do.