# Minister of Justice (China)

The minister of justice of the People's Republic of China is the head of the Ministry of Justice of the People's Republic of China and a member of the State Council. Within the State Council, the position is eleventh in order of precedence. The minister is responsible for leading the ministry, presiding over its meetings, and signing important documents related to the ministry. Officially, the minister is nominated by the premier of the State Council, who is then approved by the National People's Congress or its Standing Committee and appointed by the president.
The current minister is He Rong, the third woman to serve in the post.

## History

The Ministry of Justice of the Central People's Government was established on 1 October 1949, and Shi Liang was appointed as minister of Justice on 19 October. In September 1954, the ministry was reorganized to the Ministry of Justice of the PRC; the office was also renamed. On 28 April 1959, the Ministry of Justice was abolished, and its functions transferred to the Supreme People's Court. On 13 September 1979, the Ministry of Justice was re-established.

## List of ministers

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Important offices held during tenure | Premier | Ref. |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Term | Important offices held during tenure | Premier | Ref. |
| Minister of Justice of the Central People's Government (19 October 1949 – 28 September 1954) |||||||||
| 1 | | Shi Liang 史良 (1900–1985) | 19 October 1949 | 28 September 1954 | 4 years, 344 days | Vice Chairwoman of the All-China Women's Federation Member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee Vice Chairwoman of the China Democratic League | Zhou Enlai | |
| Minister of Justice of the People's Republic of China (28 September 1954 – 28 April 1959) |||||||||
| 1 | | Shi Liang 史良 (1900–1985) | 28 September 1954 | 28 April 1959 | 4 years, 212 days | Vice Chairwoman of the All-China Women's Federation Member of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee Vice Chairwoman of the China Democratic League | Zhou Enlai | |
| From 28 April 1959 to 13 September 1979, the post of Minister of Justice was abolished. |||||||||
| Minister of Justice of the People's Republic of China (13 September 1979 – present) |||||||||
| 2 | | Wei Wenbo 魏文伯 (1905–1987) | 13 September 1979 | 4 May 1982 | 2 years, 233 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Justice Deputy Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection Member of the Central Advisory Commission | Hua Guofeng ↓ Zhao Ziyang | |
| 3 | | Liu Fuzhi 刘复之 (1917–2013) | 4 May 1982 | 20 June 1983 | 1 year, 47 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Justice President of the China University of Political Science and Law Secretary-General of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission | Zhao Ziyang | |
| 4 | | Zou Yu 邹瑜 (born 1920) | 20 June 1983 | 12 April 1988 | 4 years, 297 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Justice President of the China University of Political Science and Law President of the All China Lawyers Association | Zhao Ziyang ↓ Li Peng | |
| 5 | | Cai Cheng 蔡诚 (1927–2009) | 12 April 1988 | 29 March 1993 | 4 years, 351 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Justice | Li Peng | |
| 6 | | Xiao Yang 肖扬 (1938–2019) | 29 March 1993 | 19 March 1998 | 4 years, 355 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Justice Deputy Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate Member of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission Member of the Central Comprehensive Management of Public Security Committee | Li Peng | |
| 7 | | Gao Changli 高昌礼 (born 1937) | 19 March 1998 | 28 December 2000 | 2 years, 284 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Justice Member of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission | Zhu Rongji | |
| 8 | | Zhang Fusen 张福森 (born 1940) | 28 December 2000 | 1 July 2005 | 4 years, 185 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Justice | Zhu Rongji ↓ Wen Jiabao | |
| 9 | | Wu Aiying 吴爱英 (born 1951) | 1 July 2005 | 24 February 2017 | 11 years, 238 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Justice | Wen Jiabao ↓ Li Keqiang | |
| 10 | | Zhang Jun 张军 (born 1956) | 24 February 2017 | 19 March 2018 | 1 year, 23 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Justice | Li Keqiang | |
| 11 | | Fu Zhenghua 傅政华 (born 1955) | 19 March 2018 | 29 April 2020 | 2 years, 41 days | Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Justice | Li Keqiang | |
| 12 | | Tang Yijun 唐一军 (born 1961) | 29 April 2020 | 24 February 2023 | 2 years, 301 days | | Li Keqiang | |
| 13 | | He Rong 贺荣 (born 1962) | 24 February 2023 | Incumbent | 2 years, 20 days | Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Justice Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Commission for the Central Comprehensive Law-Based Governance Commission | Li Keqiang ↓ Li Qiang | |