Criminal Law of the People's R

Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China

NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS
CRIMINAL LAW OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
　(Adopted　 at　 the　 Second　Session　of　the Fifth National People's
Congress　on　July　 1,　 1979,　 promulgated　 by　 Order　No.5　of the
Chairman　of　the Standing Committee　of　the National People's Congress
on July 6, 1979, and effective as of January 1,1980)
CONTENTS
PART ONE GENERAL PROVISIONS
　CHAPTER　 I　 THE　GUIDING IDEOLOGY, TASKS AND SCOPE OF APPLICATION OF
CRIMINAL LAW
CHAPTER II CRIMES
SECTION 1 CRIMES AND CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY
　 SECTION　　2　　PREPARATION　 FOR　 A　CRIME,　CRIMINAL　ATTEMPT　AND
DISCONTINUATION OF A CRIME
SECTION 3 JOINT CRIMES
CHAPTER III PUNISHMENTS
SECTION 1 TYPES OF PUNISHMENTS
SECTION 2 PUBLIC SURVEILLANCE
SECTION 3 CRIMINAL DETENTION
SECTION 4 FIXED-TERM IMPRISONMENT AND LIFE IMPRISONMENT
SECTION 5 THE DEATH PENALTY
SECTION 6 FINES
SECTION 7 DEPRIVATION OF POLITICAL RIGHTS
SECTION 8 CONFISCATION OF PROPERTY
CHAPTER IV THE CONCRETE APPLICATION OF PUNISHMENTS
SECTION 1 SENTENCING
SECTION 2 RECIDIVISTS
SECTION 3 VOLUNTARY SURRENDER
SECTION 4 COMBINED PUNISHMENT FOR SEVERAL CRIMES
SECTION 5 SUSPENSION OF SENTENCE
SECTION 6 COMMUTATION OF PUNISHMENT
SECTION 7 PAROLE
SECTION 8 LIMITATION
CHAPTER V OTHER PROVISIONS
PART TWO SPECIFIC PROVISIONS
CHAPTER I CRIMES OF COUNTERREVOLUTION
CHAPTER II CRIMES OF ENDANGERING PUBLIC SECURITY
CHAPTER III CRIMES OF UNDERMINING THE SOCIALIST ECONOMIC ORDER
　CHAPTER　 IV　 CRIMES　OF　INFRINGING　UPON　THE　RIGHTS OF THE PERSON
AND THE DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS OF CITIZENS
CHAPTER V CRIMES OF PROPERTY VIOLATION
CHAPTER VI CRIMES OF OBSTRUCTING THE ADMINISTRATION OF PUBLIC ORDER
CHAPTER VII CRIMES OF DISRUPTING MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY
CHAPTER VIII CRIMES OF DERELICTION OF DUTY
PART ONE GENERAL PROVISIONS
　CHAPTER　 I　THE　GUIDING　IDEOLOGY,　TASKS　AND　SCOPE OF APPLICATION
OF THE CRIMINAL LAW
　　　Article　1.　The　Criminal　Law of the People's Republic of China,
which　takes　 Marxism-Leninism-Mao　Zedong Thought as its guide and the
Constitution　as　 its　 basis,　is　formulated　in　accordance with the
policy　of combining punishment　with　leniency　and in the light of the
actual　circumstances　and　concrete　 experiences　of the people of all
China's　 nationalities　 in　carrying　out　 the　 people's　democratic
dictatorship,　　led　 by　 the　 proletariat　 and　 based　 on　　 the
worker-peasant　　alliance,　 that　 is,　 the　 dictatorship　 of　 the
proletariat,　 and　 in　 conducting　 the　 socialist　 revolution　and
socialist construction.
　　　 Article　 2.　 The　 tasks　 of　the Criminal Law of the People's
Republic　of　China　　are　　to　　use　　criminal　　punishments　　to
fight　　against　 all counterrevolutionary　and　other criminal acts in
order　to　defend the system of　the dictatorship of the proletariat; to
protect　socialist property owned by　the　whole　people　and　socialist
property　 collectively　 owned by the working　people;　to　protect the
citizens'　privately　owned lawful property; to　protect　the　citizens,
rights　 of　 the　person　and　their　democratic and other　rights;　to
maintain　public　order　and　order in production, education, scientific
research　 and　 other　 work　and　in　the　life　of the masses; and to
safeguard　　the　　smooth　progress　of　the　cause　of　the　socialist
revolution and socialist construction.
　　　 Article　3.　This Law is applicable to anyone who commits a crime
within　the　 territory　of　the　People's Republic of China, unless the
case is covered by special legal provisions.
　This　 Law　is　also applicable to anyone who commits a crime on board
a ship or airplane of the People's Republic of China.
　If　 the　 criminal　act　or　its　consequence　takes place within the
territory　of　the　 People's　Republic　of　China,　the　crime shall be
deemed　to　have　been　committed　within　the territory of the People's
Republic of China.
　　　 Article　 4.　 This　Law　is　applicable　to　the citizens of the
People's　Republic　 of　 China　 who　 commit　 any　of　the　following
crimes outside the territory of the People's Republic of China:
(1) counterrevolution;
　 (2)　　counterfeiting　　national　　currency　 (Article　 122)　 and
counterfeiting valuable securities (Article 123);
　(3)　　embezzlement　　(Article　 155),　 accepting　 bribes　(Article
185)　and divulging state secrets (Article 186); and
　(4)　 posing　 as　 a　state　functionary　to　practise fraud (Article
166)　and　forging　official　documents, certificates and seals (Article
167).
　　　 Article　 5.　 This　Law is also applicable to any citizen of the
People's　Republic　 of　China who commits a crime outside the territory
of　the　People's　Republic　 of　 China　 that　is not specified in the
preceding　Article,　if　for　that　　crime　　this　 Law　prescribes　a
minimum　 punishment　 of　 fixed-term　imprisonment　 of　not less than
three　years;　however,　this　does　not apply to a　crime　that　is not
punishable according to the law of the place where it was committed.
　　　 Article　 6.　 This　 Law　may be applicable to any foreigner who
commits　a　crime　 outside　 the　territory of the People's Republic of
China,　against　the　state　 of　 the　 People's　Republic　of China or
against　its　citizens,　if　for that　 crime　 this　Law　prescribes　a
minimum　 punishment　 of　 fixed-term　imprisonment　 of　not less than
three　years;　however,　this　does　not apply to a　crime　that　is not
punishable according to the law of the place where it was committed.
　　　 Article　7.　If　any person commits a crime outside the territory
of　the　People's　 Republic　of　China　for which according to this Law
he　would　bear　criminal　 responsibility,　 he may still be dealt with
according　to this Law, even　if　he has already been tried in a foreign
country.　However, if he has already　received　criminal　punishment　in
the　 foreign　country,　he　may　be exempted from punishment or given a
mitigated punishment.
　　　 Article　 8.　The　problem　of　the　criminal　responsibility　of
foreigners　who　enjoy　 diplomatic　 privileges　and　immunities　shall
be　resolved　through diplomatic channels.
　　　Article　9.　This　Law　shall enter into force on January 1, 1980.
If　an　act　 committed　after　the　founding　of　the People's Republic
of　China and before　the　entry　into　force of this law was not deemed
a　crime　under the laws,　decrees　and　policies　in force at the time,
those　laws,　decrees and policies　shall apply. If the act was deemed a
crime　under　the laws, decrees and　policies　in force at that time and
is　subject　to prosecution under the provisions　of　SECTION 8, CHAPTER
IV　of　the　General　Provisions　of　this Law, criminal　responsibility
shall　　be　 investigated　 according　 to　those　laws,　decrees　 and
policies.　 However,　 if　this　Law does not deem it a crime or imposes
a lighter punishment, this Law shall apply.
CHAPTER II CRIMES
SECTION 1 CRIMES AND CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY
　　　 Article　 10.　A　crime　refers　to　an　act　that　endangers the
sovereignty　and　territorial　 integrity　 of　 the　 state;　endangers
the　 system　 of　 the　dictatorship　of　the　proletariat;　undermines
the　socialist revolution and socialist　construction;　disrupts　public
order;　violates　property　owned　by the　whole　people or collectively
owned　by　the　working people; violates the citizens'　privately　owned
lawful　property or infringes upon the citizens' rights　of　the　person
and　their　democratic　and　other　rights;　and　any　other　act　 that
endangers　society　and　is punishable according to law. However, an act
that　 is　clearly　of　minor　importance　and　little harm shall not be
considered a crime.
　　　 Article　 11.　 An　 intentional　 crime　 refers　 to　 a　crime
committed　by　a　person　 who　 clearly　 knows　 that　 his　act　will
produce　socially　dangerous　consequences but who wishes or allows such
consequences to occur.
Criminal responsibility shall be borne for intentional crimes.
　　　 Article　12.　A　negligent crime refers to a crime committed by a
person　who　 should　 have　 foreseen　 that　 his　act　would possibly
produce　socially dangerous　consequences but who fails to do so through
negligence　or,　having　foreseen　 the　consequences,　readily believes
that　they　can　be avoided, the result being that these consequences do
occur.
　Criminal　 responsibility　 shall　 be borne for negligent crimes only
when the law so provides.
　　　 Article　13.　If　an　act in fact results in harmful consequences
due　to　unavoidable　 or　 unforeseeable　causes　rather than intent or
negligence, it shall not be deemed a crime.
　　　 Article　 14.　 Any　person who has reached the age of 16 and who
commits a crime shall bear criminal responsibility.
　Any　 person　 who　has　reached　the　age of 14 but not the age of 16
and　who　commits　　homicide,　　inflicting　 serious　 bodily　injury,
robbery,　　arson,　 habitual　 theft　 or　any　other　crime　seriously
undermining social order shall bear criminal responsibility.
　Any　 person　 who　has　reached　the　age of 14 but not the age of 18
and　who　commits　a　crime　shall　be　given　a　lighter　or　mitigated
punishment.
　If　 a　 person　is not punished because he has not reached the age of
16,　the　head　 of　his　family　or　his　guardian　shall be ordered to
discipline　and　educate　 him.　When necessary, he may also be taken in
by the government for re-education.
　　　 Article　15. If a mental patient causes dangerous consequences at
a　time　when　he　is　unable　to　recognize or control his own conduct,
he　shall not bear　criminal　responsibility,　but his family members or
guardian　shall　be ordered　to　keep　him under strict surveillance and
arrange for his medical treatment.
　Any　 person　 whose　 mental　 illness  is of an intermittent nature
shall　bear criminal　responsibility if he commits a crime when he is in
a normal mental state.
　Any　　intoxicated　　person　　who　　commits　 a　crime　shall　bear
criminal responsibility.
　　　 Article　16.　Any　deaf-mute　or blind person who commits a crime
may　be　given　a　lighter　or　mitigated punishment or be exempted from
punishment.
　　　 Article　 17.　 Criminal responsibility shall not be borne for an
act　that a　person　undertakes　in　justifiable　defence　to　avert　an
immediate　and unlawful　infringement　of　the　public　interest　or　of
his own or another person's rights of the person or other rights.
　Criminal　 responsibility　 shall　 be　borne　if　justifiable defence
exceeds　the　limits　 of　 necessity　and　causes　undue harm; however,
consideration　shall　be　given　to　a mitigated punishment or exemption
from punishment.
　　　 Article　 18.　 Criminal responsibility shall not be borne for an
act　that　a　 person　 is　 compelled　 to　commit　in　an emergency to
avert　an　immediate　danger　 to　the　public interest or to his own or
another person's rights of the person or other rights.
　Criminal　 responsibility　 shall　be　borne if an act committed in an
emergency　to　 avert　 danger　 exceeds　 the　limits　of necessity and
causes　undue　harm;　however,　　consideration　shall　be　given　to　a
mitigated　punishment　or exemption from punishment.
　The　 provisions　 of　 the　 first　 paragraph　of　this Article with
respect　to averting　danger　to oneself shall not apply to a person who
is charged with specific responsibility in his post or profession.

 (to be continued)