Compilation of Documents on the Autumn Trial System of Qing Dynasty

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Yang Yifan (ed.), Compilation of Documents on the Autumn Trial System of Qing Dynasty, (photocopies, 30 volumes), Beijing: China Democracy and Law Press, 2015.

The Autumn Trial System had been implemented for over 200 years by the Government of the Qing Dynasty. It was the most comprehensive death sentence review system in ancient China, with clear standard and strict procedure, and played a positive role in implementing the traditional Chinese criminal law principle of “criminal punishment with prudence”, and in preventing miscarriage of justice in ancient China. Even today, China can still learn a useful lesson from many of the successful experiences of the Autumn Trial System. This book is published with the support of National Press Fund and contains photocopies of 38 different kinds of documents on the Autumn Trial System, 36 of which are compiled by scholars in the Qing Dynasty. Most of these documents are rare copies. Dozens of them are hand-copied books, manuscripts, and the only existing copies. All of them are precious materials for the study of the Autumn Trial System of Qing Dynasty.