Why were China’s law schools closed during the Cultural Revolution?

During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), China’s law schools were closed as part of a broader ideological assault on expertise and the legal profession.1

The Chinese Communist Party, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, sought to foster continuous revolution against intellectuals and anyone perceived as reactionary or associated with Western influence. Because the legal system was viewed as a potential constraint on political power, the leadership attacked the idea that law could possess integrity or a role independent of politics.1

This period was characterized by a rejection of formal legal education and professional expertise. Higher education was significantly curtailed, and millions of students and intellectuals were sent to rural areas for "reeducation" to identify with the laboring masses. Consequently, legal institutions were dismantled, and by the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, the country was left with fewer than 3,000 lawyers. It was only after the revolution ended that Deng Xiaoping and other leaders initiated reforms to reestablish law schools and build a functional legal order.23