I want to end the tragedies caused by illegal lending

I like chatting with people from all walks of life and asking questions because it's an effective way of unearthing new problems and helps me think more about my job.

One time, when I was speaking with a taxi driver on my way to court, he told me he felt anxious about a private loan, which made me think about many similar cases I was handling at the time.

In recent years, our court has heard a lot of disputes about private lending. Some lenders have used violence to call in loans, such as threats, infringement of personal information and intentional injury.

I remember one woman's tears and fear as she explained how her family was forced to repay a debt. She was taken to the hospital after fainting in the courtroom at the end of her testimony.

It's obvious that violent debt collection harms people's lives and disturbs the financial market, but the current laws can't control the problem, let alone solve it.

It is useless trying to solve the issue case by case－we need to root it out by improving the laws.

I think we should add a new crime－illegal private lending or illegal debt collection－into the Criminal Law to prevent the tragedies caused by underground lending.

When I attended the NPC, I brought my written suggestion, running to about 5,000 words, because I wanted to share my opinions on the issue and wanted more people to know about it.

The more attention we pay, the quicker the problem will be solved. I follow lots of public accounts on WeChat related to online financing. It's a good way of keeping up with developments.

After all, if a judge who hears financial disputes does not know what is going on in the financial market, how can they help other people solve related problems?

Although I don't have time to read all of the articles, I scan the headlines and mark the ones I am most interested in.

I graduated in mathematics, and then studied law. I should say "thank you" to my first choice, because it was an education in logical thinking, which contributes a lot to the way I handle court cases.

Q&A

How did you feel when you were elected to the NPC?

I felt a heavy responsibility on my shoulders. The feeling is different from that of being a judge. I can't just focus on the job－I must also understand people's opinions and the things that concern them.

What suggestions have you made?

I suggested strengthening the rule of law, especially ways by which we can improve people's legal awareness. Also, I pay attention to issues related to livelihoods, such as education and healthcare.

How will you undertake your role in the next five years?

I hope the rule of law can be further improved and that everyone will learn more about the law and know how to deal with conflicts in lawful ways.

Li Li spoke with Cao Yin.