The Regulations of the People's Republic of China Concerning Punishments for Disturbing Order: The Police and Administrative Punishment

Abstract

Since 1914, China has had legislation permitting the police to punish minor violations administratively, that is, without obtaining a judgment of guilt from a court; penalties include fines and short periods of detention. This article traces the development of this legislation from 1914 to the present, showing how the violations involved have reflected the concerns of the government of the time. It demonstrates that, even as police have been given the right to inflict harsher punishments, they have also been subjected to greater accountability and control.