关于调整中国刑法结构的思考

Deliberation on adjusting Chinese criminal law structure

There are two problems with regard to the structure of Chinese criminal law. Firstly, the crimes that are defined in the Chinese criminal code are approximately equal to the felonies that are defined in the western criminal codes, while re-education through labor and penalty for administration of public security similar to the misdemeanors and violations in western countries respectively are not included in the Chinese criminal code, and meanwhile the security measures have not been systematized. Secondly, crimes and penalties, except in criminal law, can not be prescribed in administrative laws and economic laws, and such single track system of conviction and sentencing fails to satisfy the current social situation in which the number of mala prohibia has increased so much. The way to reform Chinese criminal law structure: Firstly, it is to establish a double track system, where mala prohibia should be prescribed in the related administrative laws or economic laws; secondly, a comprehensive criminal code should be reformulated in which felonies, misdemeanors, violations and security measures are all included. Liu Renwen, Ph.D, is a senior research fellow at the Law Institute of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. His major works include: A Preliminary Study of Criminal Policy (2004), Economic Analysis in the Integration of Criminal Law (2007), Crimes of Environment and National Resources (2004); and research articles, such as: Reform of the re-education through labor (Criminal Law Review, 2001), Enhance the quality of death penalty cases through the procedure (New Reports in Criminal Law, 2006).