| The legal revision at the end of Qing Dynasty is a significant law reform in modern sense implemented by the feudal governing group. It was the first effort to switch from the old feudal legal system to the modern capital legal system, resulting in the disintegration of the millennial Chinese legal system and leading the Chinese Laws to the road to modernization.Chinese legal system was a cultural system of laws, dominated by Chinese feudal laws and influencing East Asian countries. Chinese legal system has been influencing the East Asian laws since they were founded. However, the western countries had been invading the East Asian countries since the end of Qing Dynasty. Their invasion brought the advanced legal culture as well as the great influences to the East Asian countries. Japan founded its own legal system after Chinese legal system through Meiji Reform. Soon after that, China also began to introduce the western legal system, especially the legal system of European mainland, by translating and spreading the western laws and built up the modern legal system.From 1902 to 1911, with the help of many people including Shen Jiaben, Law Revision Department of Qing government, together with Institution Compilation Department translated a mass of foreign codes and legal works, such as German Penal Law and Japanese Existing Penal Law, compiled and revised more than ten codes and drafts, such as New Penal Law of Qing and Draft of Civil Code of Qing. Meanwhile, Qing Government employed some Japanese law experts to build up the modern laws of China. These codes are on an unprecedented scale and of complete range, including constitution, administration regulations, penal codes, civil laws, commercial laws and economic laws.Legal Revision at the end of Qing Dynasty is of positive significance, striding out to the modernization of Chinese law. If the effects codes prevailing temporarily, the reform of the old legal principals, spirits and norms in the process of compilation and the accompanying new norms are far-reaching. The legal revision at the end of Qing Dynasty not only awakens the legal awareness of Chinese, but also lays foundation to and sets direction for the transition of Chinese modern laws... |
