Zhou Quanmin took a deep breath and spoke earnestly, "The reason our court exists is to uphold the dignity of the law."
"But beyond the law, there is also human sensibility."
"That farmer was the family's breadwinner at the time, and his entire family depended on him."
"His sentence of three years' imprisonment had a tremendous impact on his family."
"When we pass judgment, beyond upholding the law, we must also consider the judgment's fairness, its punitive effect on harmful actions, and its equity for the parties involved."
"Take Song Yun's case: he sold endangered protected animals only due to repeated requests from others, and the three endangered parakeets were recovered, resulting in no social harm."
"Such mechanical judgment… will only make us appear too lazy, too incompetent."
He spoke at length, thoroughly explaining his views.
The other six listened, falling into a brief contemplation. Indeed, judging strictly by the letter of the law was the simplest approach.
