Prof. Li Buyun, Chinese jurist and pioneer in the research on the rule of law and human rights, passed away

Professor Li Buyun, eminent Chinese jurist and authoritative scholar of the rule of law, passed away on 21 January 2026 in Beijing at the age of 93.

Between 1967 and 1980, he worked at the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, where he made pioneering contributions to the reconstruction of modern Chinese legal theory. In the late 1970s, he published a series of seminal writings on the equality of citizens before the law, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights, exerting a lasting influence on academic and institutional debate.

From 2000, after his retirement, he promoted the establishment of the Research Centre for Rule of Law and Human Rights at Hunan University, and the Human Rights Centre at Guangzhou University, dedicating himself with constant commitment to education and research.

Professor Li Buyun was a leading figure in the development of the rule of law and legal education in contemporary China.

The Human Rights Centre of the University of Padua remembers this innovative figure and stands close to his colleagues and disciples who, particularly at Guangzhou University, perpetuate his commitment to universal human rights.