Policing and Legal Protection of Privacy in China and the UK: A Comparative Study

Abstract

activities. It begins with two privacy related incidents
involving the police – one in China and the other in the UK. It
then compares different social and legal contexts in the two
systems in order to explain the differences as regards privacy
concerns in policing. It focuses on the underlying historical,
socio-cultural and ideological factors and legal settings. It argues
that there is no universal norm of privacy and privacy must be
examined in particular cultural and legal settings. Both China
and the UK recognize legal protection of privacy, but the law in
neither system is complete. Both jurisdictions recognize the
balance between privacy interests and other equally important
social interests and rights, but what constitutes the right balance
is constructed differently, and neither system is perfect in
striking that balance. Finally, it advocates the importance of
comparative socio-legal research between different cultural and
legal systems.