The Positive Interaction Between Online Public Opinion and Judicial Processes from a Comparative Law Perspective

In the era of social media, the proliferation of online actors, the diversity of content, and the rapid dissemination of information have created conditions for widespread public participation in the judiciary, enhancing transparency while simultaneously posing challenges to judicial rationality and independence. Taking the cases of Jiang Ge and the Kunshan self-defense case as examples, this paper illustrates how differing judicial cultures, institutional frameworks, and penal execution practices result in varied responses to significant criminal cases in China and Japan. It is essential to fully leverage the moral evaluative function of criminal law, appropriately respond to public sentiment, and explore connections between public opinion and the judiciary that align with the construction of a networked rule of law with Chinese characteristics. This approach is fundamental to achieving good law and governance.