Book excerpt: This volume of The China Legal Development Yearbook is the fourth in a series of annual reports written by leading Chinese law and legal policy scholars and judges to appear in English translation. It is edited by scholars at the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. This 2009 yearbook reviews major legal developments in 2008, including law reform priorities, major legal policy debates and newly enacted legislation. It also provides reports on food safety, penal law, tax law, earthquake legislation, credit card regulation, procuratorate system reform, medical reform, legal education, and disclosure under the law. This yearbook provides valuable insight into contemporary debates in China about the substance, direction and priorities of legal reform.