What are the basic characteristics of ancient Chinese legal system?

The core of China's ancient traditional legal concept is punishment, and its main function is to "guard against stupidity" and "guard against the people". Under its guidance, ancient Chinese laws valued public rights over private rights, criminal law was superior to all laws, and criminal law was synonymous with ancient jurisprudence.

In modern times, the concept of legal system is closely related to the concept of rights, which corresponds to the abstract independent personality, developed contractual relationship and equality concept.

In ancient China, the law had the following characteristics: (1) The law changed from the will of the monarch to ancient China, and the monarch always held the supreme legislative power of the country. All laws and regulations are promulgated in the name of the monarch. Imperial edicts often become laws directly, and emperors can amend or abolish any laws. (2) Law takes ethics as its guiding principle and theoretical basis; (3) The law takes criminal law as the main means of punishment, which has always been the theme of ancient laws in China. In ancient times, there was no division of departmental laws. All previous codes-laws were generally called criminal laws, and all kinds of illegal and criminal acts in various fields of social life were stipulated here, collectively called crimes and punished. (4) The judiciary is subordinate to the executive emperor, who has the highest judicial power in the country.