Interpreting China's Legal System

Download Interpreting China's Legal System PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : World Scientific
ISBN 13 : 9813231327
Total Pages : 547 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (132 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Interpreting China's Legal System by : Lin Li

Download or read book Interpreting China's Legal System written by Lin Li and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2018-01-03 with total page 547 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book systematically and concisely expounds the construction process of China's legal system since China's reform and opening-up. Chapter 1 defines the legal system in China and describes the development of China's legal system from 1949 to 1978. Chapter 2 introduces China's legislative system, including its historical development, division of legislative functions and power, and legislative procedures. Chapter 3 compares the differences between the law systems of other countries and China's law system and how other law systems in the world influences the law system in China. Chapter 4 studies China's constitutional law system, including its historical development, forms of law and enforcement of the constitution. Chapter 5 introduces China's administrative legal system, including main principles, administrative legislation and administrative compensation. Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9 describe China's civil and commercial legal system, China's economic legal system, China's social legal system and China's criminal legal system respectively. Chapter 10 introduces China's legal system in litigation and non-litigation procedure in terms of criminal, civil, administrative and non-litigation procedures. Chapter 11 analyses the legal system of the special administrative regions in China and its relationship with China's legal system. The last chapter, Chapter 12 studies the relationship between the international law and China's domestic law system.

Interpreting Hong Kong’s Basic Law: The Struggle for Coherence

Download Interpreting Hong Kong’s Basic Law: The Struggle for Coherence PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 0230610366
Total Pages : 265 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (36 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Interpreting Hong Kong’s Basic Law: The Struggle for Coherence by : H. Fu

Download or read book Interpreting Hong Kong’s Basic Law: The Struggle for Coherence written by H. Fu and published by Springer. This book was released on 2007-12-25 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On July 1, 2007, Hong Kong celebrated its tenth anniversary as a special administrative region of China. It also marked the first decade of its unique constitutional order in which Hong Kong courts continue to apply and develop the common law but the power of final interpretation of the constitution lies with the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. This book is a collection of chapters by leading constitutional law experts in Hong Kong who examine the interpretive issues and conflicts which have arisen since 1997. Intervention by China in constitutional interpretation has been restrained but each intervention has had significant political and jurisprudential impact. The authors give varied assessments of the struggle for interpretive coherence in the coming decade.

Interpretation of Law in China

Download Interpretation of Law in China PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Karolinum Press, Charles University
ISBN 13 : 9788024619606
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (196 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Interpretation of Law in China by : Michal Tomášek

Download or read book Interpretation of Law in China written by Michal Tomášek and published by Karolinum Press, Charles University. This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In March 2009, the Faculty of Law at Charles University in Prague, together with the University of Zürich, organized a seminar on Chinese legal culture. As a follow up to this event the participants and other scholars from Europe, Asia, and North America contributed essays looking at Chinese law through a variety of lenses, from its historical roots to its modern reforms. Special attention is also paid here to the question of Westernization, the role of globalization in Chinese legal system, and the act of "translating" between western and Asian legal (and cultural) systems. A wide-ranging collection that contains various perspectives from leading experts in the field, Interpretation of Law in China is a remarkable feat of scholarship and essential reading for anyone interested in comparative, international, or Asian law.

Understanding China's Legal System

Download Understanding China's Legal System PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : NYU Press
ISBN 13 : 9780814736531
Total Pages : 436 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (365 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Understanding China's Legal System by : C. Stephen Hsu

Download or read book Understanding China's Legal System written by C. Stephen Hsu and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2003-03 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Annotation View the Table of Contents .nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Read the Introduction .>

Economic Analysis of Law in China

Download Economic Analysis of Law in China PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1847206972
Total Pages : 345 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (472 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Economic Analysis of Law in China by : Thomas Eger

Download or read book Economic Analysis of Law in China written by Thomas Eger and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2007-01-01 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an exemplary multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional study of contemporary Chinese law. A collective effort by a group of European and Chinese scholars, it skillfully tests the relationships between law and economics in the Chinese context. The China Journal This is an extremely valuable collection of essays on modern Chinese law viewed through the lens of the law and economics movement. China is developing very rapidly and law is now understood to provide the essential framework for economic development provided the law itself is economically rational. The essays in this volume are excellent examples of how economics can be used to clarify and guide the law applicable to the essential dimensions of the economy. I recommend it wholeheartedly and without reservations. Richard A. Posner, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and University of Chicago Law School, US This book brings together important applications of law and economics to China and covers a wide range of issues, including such basic concerns as property rights, intellectual property, and taxation, as well as competition law and corporate and securities law. Because of its breadth of coverage, its focus on the particulars of Chinese law, and the expertise of its scholars both Western and Chinese it should serve as a valuable reference work for years to come. Steven Shavell, Harvard Law School, US This book is an important step toward a Chinese scholarship in law and economics, written by leading law and economics researchers from China and Europe. Hans-Bernd Schaefer, Universität Hamburg, Germany In China everything is different, you cannot apply ordinary economics and the legal framework is idiosyncratic. In the course of time, such statements turned out to be prejudices, and the Eger/ Faure/ Zhang volume makes perfectly clear that, for instance, a law and economics approach can shed new light into the intricacies and complexities of Chinese institutional arrangements. Indeed, China creates new puzzles for economic and legal analysis. On the other hand, however, the Chinese need not invent the wheel anew and they do not try it. The book shows instances where a sophisticated law and economics approach can help to develop the legal framework which is appropriate for the transition from a planned into a market economy. The Chinese economic system is not (yet) a normal capitalist market economy, neither is the legal system adapted to a normal private property economy. Nevertheless the chapters of the book apply fruitfully law and economics theories and thus prove their general applicability. One of the outstanding achievements of the volume can be seen in the fact that it recruited more than half of its contributors with a Chinese background. They learn eagerly western approaches and they learn fast. And, of course, they have no problems with understanding Chinese culture and society. So the book combines most profitably the look from the outside and the look from within with a common theoretical framework. Hans-Jürgen Wagener, Europa Universität Viadrina, Germany This book comprises contributions on recent developments in China from a law and economics perspective. For the first time Chinese and European scholars jointly discuss some important attributes of China s legal and economic system, and some recent problems, from this particular viewpoint. The authors apply an economic analysis of law not only to general characteristics of China s social order, such as the specific type of federal competition, the efficiency of taxation and regulation, and the importance of informal institutions (Guanxi), but also to distinct areas of Chinese law such as competition policy, professional regulation, corporate governance and capital markets, oil pollution, intellectual property rights and internet games. The contributors discuss to what extent the law and economic models that have so far been employed within the context of deve

Constitutional Law in China

Download Constitutional Law in China PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Kluwer Law International B.V.
ISBN 13 : 9403507322
Total Pages : 160 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (35 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Constitutional Law in China by : Xu Chongde

Download or read book Constitutional Law in China written by Xu Chongde and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2019-02-14 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this very useful analysis of constitutional law in China provides essential information on the country’s sources of constitutional law, its form of government, and its administrative structure. Lawyers who handle transnational matters will appreciate the clarifications of particular terminology and its application. Throughout the book, the treatment emphasizes the specific points at which constitutional law affects the interpretation of legal rules and procedure. Thorough coverage by a local expert fully describes the political system, the historical background, the role of treaties, legislation, jurisprudence, and administrative regulations. The discussion of the form and structure of government outlines its legal status, the jurisdiction and workings of the central state organs, the subdivisions of the state, its decentralized authorities, and concepts of citizenship. Special issues include the legal position of aliens, foreign relations, taxing and spending powers, emergency laws, the power of the military, and the constitutional relationship between church and state. Details are presented in such a way that readers who are unfamiliar with specific terms and concepts in varying contexts will fully grasp their meaning and significance. Its succinct yet scholarly nature, as well as the practical quality of the information it provides, make this book a valuable time-saving tool for both practising and academic jurists. Lawyers representing parties with interests in China will welcome this guide, and academics and researchers will appreciate its value in the study of comparative constitutional law.

Chinese Law

Download Chinese Law PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
ISBN 13 : 9789041111869
Total Pages : 440 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (118 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Chinese Law by : Jianfu Chen

Download or read book Chinese Law written by Jianfu Chen and published by Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. This book was released on 1999-07-14 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Law, in particular its actual functioning in any given society, is above all a part of the culture of that society - a part of its historical, political, social and intellectual creation. If a black-letter' approach towards law in the West is under increasing criticism, it is particularly unhelpful, if not misleading, in understanding Chinese law, its nature and developments. Rather, to understand Chinese law, its nature and developments, we need to examine the Chinese legal traditions, the prevailing political and economic situations, Party policies on economic reform and tolerance towards political liberalisation, and scholarly discussions and debate. This is the approach of this book. Its aim is to put Chinese law in context', to outline the nature and present status of its development, and to analyse the meaning of the law within the Chinese context. However, this monograph does not ignore the practical needs for determining the precise contents of the black- letter' law either. A study of this kind necessarily involves a process of topic selection. However, to avoid over-generalisation and over-simplification, it also demands a considerable degree of comprehensiveness in coverage. For this reason, the book covers what the Chinese scholars term fundamental law' and basic branches' of law, while other topics are covered because they are either crucial for the understanding of the law (such as legal traditions in China) or of practical importance (such as foreign investment and trade). Chapter One provides an historical background to traditional Chinese legal culture' and modern law reforms. The historical background of specific topics is examined as the topics are analysed inthe following chapters. Chapter Two deals with the changing fate of law under Communist rule. Its focus is on the underlying factors and justifications for such changes. Chapter Three introduces discussions on specific branches of law, from public law (constitutional law, law-making, administrative law, criminal law, criminal procedure law) to private' law (civil law, family law, contracts, law on business entities, and law on foreign investment and trade). Each of these is dealt with in a separate chapter. After the analysis of these substantial topics, certain conclusions are drawn, which attempt to define the nature of Chinese law and its developments in present-day China.

Understanding Labor and Employment Law in China

Download Understanding Labor and Employment Law in China PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 0521191483
Total Pages : 349 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (211 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Understanding Labor and Employment Law in China by : Ronald C. Brown

Download or read book Understanding Labor and Employment Law in China written by Ronald C. Brown and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2010 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a clear overview of the labor and employment law environment in China and its legal requirements.

Private International Law in China

Download Private International Law in China PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 9812879935
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (128 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Private International Law in China by : Guangjian Tu

Download or read book Private International Law in China written by Guangjian Tu and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-10-28 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a systematic elaboration of Chinese Private International Law, reveals the general techniques concerning conflict of laws in China, explains the detailed Chinese conflict rules for different areas of law, and demonstrates how international civil litigation is pursued in China. Clearly structured and written by a native Chinese scholar specializing in the field, the book’s easy-to-read style makes it accessible to a broad readership, while its content makes it a useful reference guide, especially for jurists and researchers.

China's Legal System

Download China's Legal System PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 981198994X
Total Pages : 306 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (119 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis China's Legal System by : Jingwen Zhu

Download or read book China's Legal System written by Jingwen Zhu and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-03-01 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a systematic and detailed introduction to the formation process and current development of China's socialist legal system. The classification of the constitution and constitution-related laws, criminal law, civil and commercial law, administrative law, economic law, litigation and non-litigation procedural law, social law, and the specifics of each sector of law are explained, which is a good guide for understanding the framework of China's legal system and the study of each sector of jurisprudence.

Intellectual Property Law in China

Download Intellectual Property Law in China PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Kluwer Law International B.V.
ISBN 13 : 9403519819
Total Pages : 310 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (35 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Intellectual Property Law in China by : Christopher Heath

Download or read book Intellectual Property Law in China written by Christopher Heath and published by Kluwer Law International B.V.. This book was released on 2021-02-19 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intellectual property law and practice in China has changed dramatically since the first edition of this influential book published in 2005. Today, judicial and administrative application of law plays a major role, and accordingly this entirely rewritten new edition draws on an abundance of court and administrative decisions clarifying how the law is applied. In a thorough and systematic manner, the authors clearly demonstrate the sophisticated level of legal certainty available for domestic and foreign entities doing business in China, including the adaptation of the legal framework to new technologies, broadened scope of protected subject matter, improved quality of filings, and significant enhancement of enforcement not only with regard to remedies but also to procedural aspects. Providing comprehensive coverage of all aspects of intellectual property protection in China – including analysis of IP-related provisions of China’s new Civil Code – the book emphasizes issues of concern to foreign traders and investors such as the following: copyright law and software protection; protection of trademarks, including Chinese character and Roman script trademarks, well-known marks and bad faith applications; technology transfer; enforcement of trade secret and patent protection; criminal liability for infringement; unfair competition and antitrust law; role of the binding interpretations of the Supreme People’s Court; administrative regulations that supplement the laws; co-operation with administrative authorities; protection of geographical indications; protection of trade names; domain name dispute resolution; special patent-related laws protecting such areas as plant varieties, integrated circuit layout designs,; and relevant provisions of the distinct laws of Hong Kong and Macao. Full descriptions of the competencies of China’s IP-related institutions are included with detailed attention to procedural matters. Brief historical notes in each chapter feature the most significant changes in each amendment of law and regulation. Because in China the laws are supplemented and interpreted by numerous guidelines and circulars issued by ministries or courts, the up-to-date knowledge and awareness provided in this new edition is essential for all companies investing in China or considering such investment, as well as for practitioners counselling their clients on strategies. In addition, officials and policymakers involved in trade or other relations with China will benefit from a comprehensive update of what the current law is and a critical view of what the challenges are. “...the 2021 IPLCN is a recommended read for those who seek a well-written English textbook which covers the main principles of Chinese IP Law. Clearly outlined, it is probably one of the best of its kind on the market. Its existence is welcome and necessary in the current era, where languages are still obstacles.” By Tian Lu, Book Review for The IP Kitten, September 2021.

Chinese Law

Download Chinese Law PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
ISBN 13 : 9004635440
Total Pages : 429 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (46 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Chinese Law by : Chen

Download or read book Chinese Law written by Chen and published by Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. This book was released on 2023-09-25 with total page 429 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Law, in particular its actual functioning in any given society, is above all a part of the culture of that society - a part of its historical, political, social and intellectual creation. If a `black-letter' approach towards law in the West is under increasing criticism, it is particularly unhelpful, if not misleading, in understanding Chinese law, its nature and developments. Rather, to understand Chinese law, its nature and developments, we need to examine the Chinese legal traditions, the prevailing political and economic situations, Party policies on economic reform and tolerance towards political liberalisation, and scholarly discussions and debate. This is the approach of this book. Its aim is to put Chinese law `in context', to outline the nature and present status of its development, and to analyse the meaning of the law within the Chinese context. However, this monograph does not ignore the practical needs for determining the precise contents of the `black- letter' law either. A study of this kind necessarily involves a process of topic selection. However, to avoid over-generalisation and over-simplification, it also demands a considerable degree of comprehensiveness in coverage. For this reason, the book covers what the Chinese scholars term `fundamental law' and `basic branches' of law, while other topics are covered because they are either crucial for the understanding of the law (such as legal traditions in China) or of practical importance (such as foreign investment and trade). Chapter One provides an historical background to traditional Chinese `legal culture' and modern law reforms. The historical background of specific topics is examined as the topics are analysed in the following chapters. Chapter Two deals with the changing fate of law under Communist rule. Its focus is on the underlying factors and justifications for such changes. Chapter Three introduces discussions on specific branches of law, from public law (constitutional law, law-making, administrative law, criminal law, criminal procedure law) to `private' law (civil law, family law, contracts, law on business entities, and law on foreign investment and trade). Each of these is dealt with in a separate chapter. After the analysis of these substantial topics, certain conclusions are drawn, which attempt to define the nature of Chinese law and its developments in present-day China.

Law Making in the People's Republic of China

Download Law Making in the People's Republic of China PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 44 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (31 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Law Making in the People's Republic of China by : Tao-tai Hsia

Download or read book Law Making in the People's Republic of China written by Tao-tai Hsia and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Changing Legal Orders in Hong Kong and Mainland China: Essays on “One Country, Two Systems”

Download The Changing Legal Orders in Hong Kong and Mainland China: Essays on “One Country, Two Systems” PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : City University of HK Press
ISBN 13 : 9629374501
Total Pages : 440 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (293 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Changing Legal Orders in Hong Kong and Mainland China: Essays on “One Country, Two Systems” by : Albert H.Y. Chen

Download or read book The Changing Legal Orders in Hong Kong and Mainland China: Essays on “One Country, Two Systems” written by Albert H.Y. Chen and published by City University of HK Press. This book was released on 2021-03 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of selected works by Professor Albert H.Y. Chen shows the contours of the author’s scholarship as it developed over 35 years of his academic career, from 1984 to the present. The essays are divided into three sections which cover the three major domains of Professor Chen’s research. Part I covers the legal developments and controversies of “One Country, Two Systems” since the Hong Kong interpretation on “the right of abode” in 1999 to the anti-extradition movement of 2019. Part II shifts to focus on tradition and modernity in Chinese Law, including China’s Confucian and Legalist traditions and how the socialist legal system in China evolved and modernized in the era of “reform and opening”. Part III examines the transplantation of Western thinking and constitutionalism to East Asia in modern times and discusses the achievements and failures of these efforts. In conjunction with an introductory chapter that sets out the basic orientation and paradigm of these legal and constitutional studies and an epilogue that reflects on the main themes, this collection exemplifies the author’s important contributions to the field and provides insight into how the legal orders in Hong Kong and mainland China have changed over the course of Professor Chen’s academic career.

Building the Rule of Law in China

Download Building the Rule of Law in China PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1351613081
Total Pages : 202 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (516 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Building the Rule of Law in China by : Weidong Ji

Download or read book Building the Rule of Law in China written by Weidong Ji and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-12-12 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After thirty years of Mao era (1949-1979) which was struggle-based, the Communist Party of China has begun to change its position as a pioneering revolutionary party, evolving into a universal ruling party that transcends class interests. Meanwhile, administrative and judicial reforms oriented toward a more efficient, serving government and the rule of law have been actively carried out. As the earliest work on constructive jurisprudence of new proceduralism in China, this book elucidates some of the most critical problems in the process of constructing a legal order and realizing institutional innovation in China: democracy, fair and reasonable procedure, interpretation techniques, cognitive ability of legislation, position and function of the jurist group, and professional ethics, etc. Besides, it expounds five pairs of contradictions in the modernization process of Chinese legal system, namely, substantial and procedural justice, moral and legal debates, formal and reflective rationality, the major responsibility on bureaucrats and lawyers, and the motivation of public welfare and profit, and explores appropriate approaches to combine the different factors. Scholars and students in Chinese legal and social transformation studies will be attracted by this book. Furthermore, it will help different civilizations conduct rational dialogues on justice and order.

Towards a Chinese Civil Code

Download Towards a Chinese Civil Code PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Martinus Nijhoff Publishers
ISBN 13 : 9004204881
Total Pages : 576 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (42 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Towards a Chinese Civil Code by :

Download or read book Towards a Chinese Civil Code written by and published by Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. This book was released on 2012-11-13 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Currently, China is drafting its new Civil Code. Against this background, the Chinese legal community has shown a growing interest in various legal and legislative ideas from around the world. Within this context, the present book aims at providing the necessary historical and comparative legal perspectives. It concentrates on substantive private law and civil procedure, both in China and in other jurisdictions. These perspectives are of considerable importance for the present codification work. Additionally, the book is dedicated to commemorating the centennial of the first Western-influenced and civil law-oriented Civil Code of China, the Da Qing Min Lü Cao An of 1911. The following topics are addressed: property law, contract law, tort law and civil procedure. The book also contains contributions on codification experiences in Europe and on the concept of codification in general. The topics are discussed by leading Chinese and international scholars. Most of the Chinese contributors have taken part in preparing the Chinese Draft Civil Code. The book is the outcome of a conference organized by the Centre for Chinese and Comparative Law (RCCL), School of Law, City University of Hong Kong, in October 2010.

The Limits of the Rule of Law in China

Download The Limits of the Rule of Law in China PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : University of Washington Press
ISBN 13 : 0295803894
Total Pages : 384 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (958 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis The Limits of the Rule of Law in China by : Karen G. Turner

Download or read book The Limits of the Rule of Law in China written by Karen G. Turner and published by University of Washington Press. This book was released on 2015-05-01 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Limits of the Rule of Law in China, fourteen authors from different academic disciplines reflect on questions that have troubled Chinese and Western scholars of jurisprudence since classical times. Using data from the early 19th century through the contemporary period, they analyze how tension between formal laws and discretionary judgment is discussed and manifested in the Chinese context. The contributions cover a wide range of topics, from interpreting the rationale for and legacy of Qing practices of collective punishment, confession at trial, and bureaucratic supervision to assessing the political and cultural forces that continue to limit the authority of formal legal institutions in the People’s Republic of China.