Xiànguān mànmàn; yuānsǐ zhě bàn.

縣官漫漫, 冤死者半。

Lit [If a] county magistrate is undisciplined [i.e., not supervised by his superiors], those who die unjustly [by his sentence may be as many as] half [of the cases he hears].

Fig The great power of a local magistrate in traditional China had to be carefully monitored and exercised with a great sense of responsibility or there could be disastrous results for those who came for judgment.

Note [Rhyme; see also pò jiā xiànlìng above.]

Topics DISASTERS MAGISTRATES POWER rhyme