Author
Prof ZHANG, Qing
Organisation/Institution
China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL)
Country
CHINA
Panel
Miscellaneous
Title
A Comparative Study on Ancient Chinese Judicial Verdicts and Modern Criminal Judgments
Abstract
As a judicial document made by the judicial officials in ancient China, the ancient judgment reflects the etiquette culture (i.e.，li and fa) tradition in Chinese history．At present, the reform of criminal judgment in China needs not only to learn from foreign advanced trial system and models of judgments, but also to draw nutrition from the local cultures of case settlement in ancient China, and carry forward the excellent traditional legal culture of China, so as to promote the development of judicial reform. This article first discusses the different classified patterns of ancient Chinese judgments, and then analyses the differences between ancient judgments and contemporary criminal judgments in China from the perspectives of the literary features of the ancient judgments, the moral orientation, compatibility of heavenly principles, human and legal ideas, the textual structure and the emotional color of the words. The differences may reveal its implications for the reform of criminal judgments today. These characteristics of ancient judgments are not only conducive to the realization of the judicial aims of ancient society, but also have practical reference value for the current judicial reform in China, especially the reform of criminal judgments.
Biography
As the professor, Dean of the School of Foreign Studies, dissertation supervisor of legal culture studies, and director of the Center for Legal Discourse Studies of China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), I have both professional and profound knowledge of English and law, where I have got both law degrees and English certificates. I was a Fulbright Visiting Research Scholar in University of Washington in 2015-2016. I got my doctor of laws in forensic linguistics at CUPL in 2009, master of laws in School of Law of Indiana University (Bloomington) in 2001, bachelor of laws with minor in English in CUPL in 1987. I was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2002. I am the vice director of Legal English Teaching and Testing Committee of China Academy of Arbitration Law, vice director of Committee of Forensic Linguistics of China Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese, executive member of Foreign Language Teaching and Research Branch of China Association of Higher Education, executive member of Graduate English Teaching Branch of Beijing Higher Learning Education Association, member of the Legal Culture Association of China Law Society, and member of the Translators Association of China. My research interests focus on forensic/legal linguistics, legal English, and legal discourse, language and law etc. I have written or translated a couple of monographs, edited many textbooks and published nearly 100 academic papers.
