Asian Criminological Society Distinguished Book Award handed to UM professor’s book

A book co-authored by University of Macau (UM) Faculty of Law Professor Liu Jianhong, and focused on Chinese netizens’ opinions and views on the death penalty has been granted the 2022 Distinguished Book Award from the Asian Criminological Society (ACS).

The book – titled ‘Chinese Netizens’ Opinions on Death Sentences: Empirical Examination’ – was also co-authored by Liang Bin, professor of sociology at Oklahoma State University, and was published by the University of Michigan Press in 2021.

‘China still retains the death penalty system, but little empirical evidence has been published on the public opinion on the death penalty in China. Based on a content analysis of rich and thorough data, the book examines the diversity and rationales of netizens’ opinions on China’s criminal justice system, making it an excellent work for understanding public attitudes toward the death penalty in a complex social environment,” the university informed.

Professor Liu has been the editor-in-chief of the Asian Journal of Criminology since 2009 and has developed the journal into a Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) indexed journal.

He has also served in different positions for several international academic organisations, including president of the Scientific Commission of the International Society for Criminology since 2014, chairman of the General Assembly of the Asian Criminological Society since 2016.