“人民法院”改为“法院”的观点至少在2000年便见于学界,但2004年贺卫方对此观点的强调在公共领域掀起了一场激烈争论。本文对此作了梳理和分析。该争论显现了各方对“法院”和“人民”的不同认识状态和价值观念,以及当前司法正当性面临的重大危机。正是在此意义上,司法民主才有了重建司法“正当性”的重要意义。 “People’s court ” to “Court ” point of view will be seen in academia at least in 2000, but in 2004 He Weifang’s emphasis on this view in the public sphere set off a heated debate. This article has done a sort of analysis and analysis. This debate shows the different cognitive states and values ​​of the “courts” and “people” of the parties as well as the major crisis that the current judicial legitimacy faces. It is in this sense that judicial democracy has the important significance of rebuilding justice “legitimacy.”