Page 6 - 2021 Policy Watch

Policy Watch: A Milestone in Legal Development: China Promulgates a Civil Code

While China had codes of law from the time of Qin dy- 制度有光辉的成果，但现代中国在制定民法典
nasty, 221 BCE, until 1911 CE, but this was not a civil 的过程中也没有参考传统法律实践。实质上，
code.2 Yet modern China did not consider any of the 中国吸取了古代罗马民法典的概念，融入了当
traditional legal practices when developing a civil code, 代中国法律的具体特色。民法典这一概念起源
despite the outstanding success of the traditional legal 于古代罗马法中，查士丁尼皇帝在公元约529
system. In essence, China adapted a contemporary ver- 年下令编纂的《罗马民法大全》，其中包括《
sion of the Roman Civil Code, as modified by specific 查士丁尼法学总论》《查士丁尼学说汇编》
characteristics of contemporary Chinese law. The con- 《查士丁尼法典》《查士丁尼新敕令》四种
cept of a civil code originates from ancient Roman law, 法律文献在内的法律汇编。《罗马民法大全》
where the Emperor Justinian enacted the Corpus Juris 实质上处理关于人、物、行为的私有法，特别
Civilis, on or about 529 CE, which included the Insti- 是《查士丁尼法学总论》影响了欧洲现代法律
tutes, Digest, Codex and Novels. The Corpus Juris Civilis 思想，如1803年至1804年间颁布的《法国民法
essentially deals with private law about persons, things 典》。《查士丁尼法学总论》作为四册之首，
and actions. The Institutes particularly influenced the 以第三部分的与人的相关法律规定为开篇，
categories of modern legal thought in Europe. For ex- 《中国民法典》同样也以人的法律规定为第
ample in France, in 1803-4 by enactment of the Code 二章。《蒙古民法典》，类似欧洲的法典，在
Civil. As the Institutes started book one, part three with 第三章对公民作出规定，第四章对法人作出规
the laws regarding persons, so the Civil Code of China, 定。
book one, chapter two commences with the law about
persons. The Civil Code of Mongolia, similar to Euro- 1. 成文法
pean codes, chapter three refers to citizens and chapter
four about juristic persons. 许多发展中国家，如蒙古在2020年借用其他国
家的民法典，通过了全面的民法典。但中国根
1. Statutory Law 据自身的情况，在颁布单行法律的同时进行民
法典的制定工作，曾经先后多次启动民法制定
While many developing states, such as Mongolia in 工作而未能取得成果。例如1979年第三次尝试
2002, adapted a comprehensive civil code, based on 启动民法起草工作，但由于刚进入改革开放历
borrowing large part of other nation’s code, China pro- 史新时期，由于其他原因，民法典的制订被搁
ceeded in its own way by enacting piecemeal legislation, 置。中国决定先制定民事单行法律，然后逐步
while working on a civil code, which went through 积累、总结、提高，最后制订《民法典》。3
many unsuccessful drafts. For example, in 1979, the 中国于1980年修改《婚姻法》，1985年发布《
继承法》，1986年发布《民法通则》，1995年
2 For a very long time, foreigners thought that China did not have 发布《担保法》，1999年发布《合同法》，
civil law and civil litigation during the traditional period. In fact, 2007年发布《物权法》，2009年发布《侵权责
there was substantial civil law and civil litigation in China during 任法》……多部民事法律法规相继通过并实
the traditional period. See David C. Buxbaum, Some Aspects of Civil 施。全国人大常委会法制工作委员会于2015年
Procedure and Practice at the Trial Level in Tanshui and Hsinchu from 3月正式启动民法典编纂工作。历时五年，历
1789 to 1895, Volume XXX Journal of Asian Studies, p. 255 (1971). 经十次常委会会议、两次全国人代会的审议，
This article analyzes a Qing dynasty magistrate’s archive and found 《民法典》最终完成。2020年5月28日，十三
that about one third of the cases handled by this magistrate were civil 届全国人大三次会议通过了《中华人民共和国
proceedings. This article has been called a seminal article and has been 民法典》，是《中华人民共和国宪法》赋予的
reprinted in China. Additionally, because of certain punishments ad- 公民民事权利的具体体现。例如，《宪法》
ministered by the traditional courts, such as the cangue, foreign persons 第十三条规定，公民的合法的私有财产不受侵
assume that traditional Chinese law was cruel and unsophisticated. 犯。国家依照法律规定保护公民的私有财产权
Thanks to the outstanding scholarship of Professor Dai Yanhui of Tai-
wan University; and most importantly the work of Professor Zhang 3 毛泽东1937年发表的著作《实践论》对中国政府有着
Jinfan of Zhengfa University and his many students, we now know the
traditional Chinese legal system was among the most sophisticated and 深远影响。例如，现代中国的《民事诉讼法》在正式颁
clearly the most enduring legal system in world history.
布前已适用于法院，并根据实际经验进行修订，最后形
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成这部法律。