The Great Qing Code in Comparative and Historical Perspective

The Great Qing Code (大清律例, Da Qing lü li or Ta Tsing Leu Lee) was drafted in 1646, but abolished along with the end of Qing dynasty in 1912. This gigantic legislative work spanned over two centuries and ruled millions of people. As a fundamental comprehensive criminal code of Qing dynasty (1644-1912) and the last traditional legal code in Chinese history, literally, the Qing code offers us a very broad view on the traditional Chinese law. It is an extraordinary monument for legal historians to penetrate and comprehend Chinese traditional ways of understanding law, justice and punishment. Its 436 statutes (律, lü) and over 1,000 sub-statutes (例, li) form an intricate body of rules, analogies, exceptions, annotations and cases. Furthermore, a very strong continuity can be found between the Qing code and the Tang code (唐律, Tang lü) promulgated in the seventh century since about 40 per cent articles of the Qing code was derived from the Tang code. This essay focuses on the formation, the distinctive character, the basic structure, the diffusion and the reform of the Qing code from historical and comparative perspectives