On September 28th, 2014, a special book signing event was held in CUPL to celebrate Professor Ronald J. Allen receiving the 2014 China “Friendship Award”, the highest award Chinese Central Government grants for non-citizens, and to promote the new book - Professor Allen On Evidence (Volume I). This event was organized by the Institute of Evidence Law and Forensic Science, CUPL. Professor Ronald Allen and his wife Ms. Julie Allen, together with more than fifty distinguished law professors in the nation attended this event.
The book signing event was presided by Professor Baosheng Zhang, vice president of CUPL and co-director of the Collaboration Innovation Center of Judicial Civilization. Professor Jin Huang, president of CUPL and Professor Guangzhong Chen, the leading scholar in criminal procedure law, delivered speeches to congratulate Professor Allen.
Professor Allen delivered a speech to express his gratitude (the full speech). He stated that he just played a role as catalyst in the process to promote the development of Chinese legal construction which was mainly boosted by Chinese legal experts and scholars. In addition, he also put forward four issues which need to be concerned about in the continuing development of evidence law.
Professor Allen, John Henry Wigmore Professor of Law at Northwestern University School of Law, is an internationally renowned scholar in evidence and procedural law, and serves as President, Board of Foreign Advisors, Institute of Evidence Law and Forensic Sciences, CUPL. The book, Professor Allen on Evidence (Volume I), collected fifteen articles of Professor Allen with high academic value.
“China Friendship Award" is the highest award given by the Chinese government to award foreign experts who have made extraordinary contributions to the modernization of China. Professor Allen is the only legal scholar who won the award in the Year of 2014 and the first in CUPL’s history to win this award.