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China now seems to have an over-abundance of "experts". Whenever an event arouses public attention, experts jump on the scene to address or offer "professional" advice to people, which is often contrary to public sentiment and common sense. The latest example is a petition submitted by a few law experts to the National People's Congress (NPC), asking it to review, and possibly annul, a recent Shenzhen municipality law to punish people for traffic rule violations. Though the majority of the public in the southern metropolis have welcomed the new law as necessary and beneficial to improving the city's traffic, the experts have questioned its legality. Their letter to the NPC focuses on two points. First, they argue, the local law goes against the "Law of the People's Republic of China on Road Traffic Safety", passed by the NPC. Second, they say, the punishments the local law stipulates are very severe. The experts have said the harsher punishment to be meted out to offenders goes against the stipulations of the national law. They argue that the local law is unnecessary because we have a national law on the subject. I was stunned by the argument, which is tantamount to saying that a local government cannot draft its own version of a national law. How could the "experts" make such unprofessional remarks? If the logic they use is right, then on what basis will local legislatures pass local laws? It's true, all national laws are drafted taking into consideration the conditions in different parts of the country. But they cannot be specific enough to suit the conditions in all parts of the country. Local legislators need to pass laws or regulations to address problems specific to their area or region. | 
