This colloquium is open to JD and LLM students with a genuine interest in the role of law in China’s social and economic history. Students with little background in Chinese history should see instructor before registering. Arts and Sciences (including SIPA), and Business School students should register for HSEA 8888 (see Directory of Classes under instructor: Zelin).
This course provides an introduction to Chinese legal history through an examination of the evolution of codified law, legal and judicial practice and the institutions that shaped legal culture in the imperial and Republican period. Issues covered include the foundations for civil and criminal law, formal and informal justice, law and the family, and law and the economy. We will also engage current debates regarding customary and codified law, the role of Confucianism in Chinese legal culture, and the limits on the rule of law in China.