In China, songs have become part of court proceedings

There are many ethnic minorities in China (55 officially registered), each with its own culture, songs, and costumes. And some courts in Guizhou Province in southwest China hire folk singers to mediate disputes between local ethnic minorities.

In China's Guizhou Province, courts have begun using folk songs to resolve disputes between ethnic minorities. In one such case, a Shui man sued a woman for an offensive song she had shared in chat rooms. Since singing is an important form of communication in their culture, the court invited folk singers to act as mediators, who sang calls for reconciliation right in the courtroom.

Initially, the man demanded 120,000 yuan in compensation, but after the mediators spoke, the parties agreed on 10,000. The woman admitted guilt, but due to a lack of funds, she offered to pay part of the damage with a rooster, a duck, and some wine. That's what they agreed on.

The practice is part of local government efforts to adapt the judicial system to the cultural characteristics of minorities. In Rongjiang County, home to the Shui, Miao, Yao and other ethnic groups, authorities have hired 19 singer-mediators. They participate in trials and also popularize the law among locals through songs.