Comment on "Online outcry stirs court into action" (China Daily, Jan 15)

The defendant's sentence may be unjustified, but the fact that the court responded to an outcry on the Internet is not necessarily a good thing. It sounds more like "mob rule".

An outcry or protest against some incident on the Internet does not reflect the true reaction of Chinese citizens. The outcome may be good, as in this case, but it could set a bad precedent. What if the outpouring of views on the Internet is deliberately biased? Will the sentence or decision even in such a case be altered?

The best option is to make laws and court sentences fair and just without the influence of any factors.

James, on China Daily website

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