Relations between Statute Law and Judicial Practice in the Northern Wei Dynasty

Abstract

Lü Simian has been regarded as the leading historian among those who made comprehensive and systematic studies on the system in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties. There are many thought-provoking contents in his papers and monographs about the legal system of the Northern Wei Dynasty. As a minority regime that ruled the Central Plains, the Northern Wei Dynasty witnessed many problems in the judicial practice between Xianbei’s traditional customary law and criminal law written in Chinese characters. The process of overcoming various conflicts formed thereby was intertwined with the sinicization of Xianbei. Therefore, the treatment process of the Northern Wei regime contained deep political wisdom and had important influences on later generations.

Keywords

the Northern Wei Dynasty / statute law / judicial practice / language

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