Legal History
Ancient Chinese Legal History
Ancient Chinese legal history spans more than two millennia and represents one of the world’s longest continuous legal traditions. Its defining feature is the interaction between two competing …
Law and Justice under Mao Zedong
The Abolition of the KMT Legal System The founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949, initiated a radical break with the legal past. The Directive on the Abolition of the Six …
Legal Reform in the Late Qing Dynasty
The Crisis of the Qing Legal Order The late Qing legal reforms, initiated in the aftermath of the Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) and the humiliations of the unequal treaty system, represented the first …
Modern Chinese Legal History
Modern Chinese legal history is characterised by the reception of Western legal models, their adaptation to Chinese conditions, and the tension between imported legal forms and indigenous traditions …
PRC Legal Development (1949-2025)
The legal development of the People’s Republic of China from 1949 to 2025 has followed a dramatic trajectory: from abolition of the existing legal system, through revolutionary legality, legal …
Qing Dynasty Legal System: Lü and Li
The Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) legal system represents the culmination of imperial Chinese legal development and the foundation for modern Chinese legal reform. The Qing code — the Da Qing Lü Li (Great …
Republican China Legal System (1912-1949)
The Republican Legal Framework The legal system of Republican China (1912-1949) represented the first sustained effort to construct a modern, codified legal order in Chinese history. Following the …