The Transformation of the Chinese Legal System

Abstract

In China, the development of law has taken a completely different path from the European legal tradition, it formed completely independently, without major external influence. An efficient administrative structure and legal system was established as early as in the 3rd century BC, the framework of which remained almost unchanged for more than two thousand years. The institutional system of traditional Chinese law has disappeared as a result of the political-economic-social changes of the 20th century. However, some elements of the traditional Chinese legal culture continue to live on: attitudes, assumptions, principles, values, mentality, behavioral complexes that all influence the current legal system in China. In the 21st century, China has undergone spectacular modernization. Political and legal reforms have introduced a whole new functioning of the state within the old framework. Thus, the modernization of Chinese law is fueled by the elements of traditional Chinese law, continental law and socialist law. The proposed article explores the evolution of Chinese law from antiquity to today.