Criminal Law (Ninth Edition)

Name: Criminal Law (Ninth Edition)
ISBN: 9787301307120

高铭暄 / 马克昌Peking University Press · ChinaAug 2025

4.6

Word count: 752K words
Chapters: 40
ISBN: 9787301307120

Report an error Find this book

Summary

This textbook is one of the core-course textbooks for law majors in national higher education institutions organized by the Ministry of Education for the 21st century, intended for undergraduate law students. In accordance with the requirements for mainline-course textbooks in higher legal education, it seeks to present the basic principles and knowledge of criminal law in China accurately, with emphasis on scientific rigor, systematic organization, relative stability, and contemporary relevance. In particular, to meet the needs of national reform and opening-up and the building of a socialist rule-of-law state, it pays close attention to new developments in criminal justice and new achievements in criminal-law theory since the promulgation of the new Criminal Code, thereby enhancing the textbook's academic standard and practical value. Apart from the preface, the book is divided into two parts: Part One, the General Principles of Criminal Law, systematically and in some depth discusses the basic principles and norms of the general provisions concerning general criminal-law theory, the general theory of crime, and the general theory of punishment; Part Two, the Specific Principles of Criminal Law, after discussing macro-level issues, devotes chapter by chapter to the common issues of the ten categories of crimes stipulated in the specific provisions of the current Criminal Code and to the conviction-and-sentencing norms and theoretical issues of each crime. The treatment of specific crimes varies in detail according to theoretical and practical needs, with clear priorities.

Editor's review

As a core-curriculum textbook for law majors organized by the Ministry of Education, this book's value lies first in its complete system: the General Part covers the basic principles and general provisions of criminal law theory, general theory of crime, and general theory of punishment, while the Specific Part, after outlining the common issues of ten categories of crimes, discusses each category chapter by chapter, forming a clear framework from principles to individual offenses. The ninth edition continues the textbook's emphasis on scientific rigor, systematicity, and relative stability, while attending to progress in the criminal rule of law and theoretical research since the new Criminal Code was enacted, giving the content both foundational and contemporary relevance. Discussion of individual crimes is weighted according to theoretical and practical needs rather than treated uniformly, helping readers grasp the key points. It is best suited as a main course text, used alongside classroom instruction and reference to statutory provisions; when encountering a specific offense in exam preparation or practice, readers can return to the relevant chapter to check the prevailing view and normative basis. Readers should first build the conceptual system of the General Part before moving to the Specific Part; otherwise they may get lost in offense details without analytical tools.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Undergraduate law students at universities, using it as the main textbook for the core criminal law course
Candidates preparing for law graduate entrance examinations who need to systematically review the framework of criminal law knowledge
Legal practitioners consulting the principles of the general provisions of criminal law and the prevailing views on specific offenses
Advanced self-learners with some legal background who are interested in the criminal law system

Not a good fit for

General readers with no legal background who hope to learn about criminal law through accessible stories
People who only want to quickly look up the sentencing outcome for a particular offense and are unwilling to read through explanations of principles
Readers who need a casebook or a test-prep question book rather than a systematic textbook

Reading tips

Read the general part first to build a conceptual framework of the elements of a crime and the system of penalties, then move on to the specific part chapter by chapter
For each section, consult the relevant provisions of the current criminal code and match the textbook's discussion to the normative text
In the specific part, follow the textbook's emphasis: read key chapters closely, and for overview content, grasp the common features before memorizing individual offenses
Use class notes or your own outline to organize the connections between the general and specific parts, and review regularly

About the publisher

Peking University Press China · Founded in 1979

Peking University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas cover classical literature, popular science, social culture, world history, Western philosophy, and culture. Its catalogue contains 6,031 titles, with representative books including A Dream of Red Mansions, Relativity: The Special and General Theory (15th Edition) (with Einstein's classic papers on unified field theory and other topics), Elements, Conics, The Aristocratic Families of the Eastern Jin, The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume I), The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume II), and The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Representative authors include Cao Xueqin, Zhou Ruchang, Albert Einstein, Euclid, Apollonius, Tian Yuqing, Schelling, and Xian Gang. The press has developed distinctive strengths in classical Chinese literature and in the translation of Western philosophical classics, while also covering scientific classics and social and cultural studies. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the books in the catalogue and offers no further extrapolation.

版权信息
内容简介
Abstract
作者简介
Introduction to Authors
第九版说明
绪言
上编刑法总论
第一章刑法概说
第二章刑法的基本原则
第三章刑法的效力范围
第四章犯罪概念与犯罪构成
第五章犯罪客体
第六章犯罪客观方面
第七章犯罪主体
第八章犯罪主观方面
第九章正当行为
第十章故意犯罪的停止形态
第十一章共同犯罪
第十二章罪数形态
第十三章刑事责任
第十四章刑罚概说
第十五章刑罚的体系和种类
第十六章刑罚的裁量
第十七章刑罚裁量制度
第十八章刑罚执行制度
第十九章刑罚的消灭
下编刑法各论
第二十章刑法各论概述
第二十一章危害国家安全罪
第二十二章危害公共安全罪
第二十三章破坏社会主义市场经济秩序罪
第二十四章侵犯公民人身权利、民主权利罪
第二十五章侵犯财产罪
第二十六章妨害社会管理秩序罪
第二十七章危害国防利益罪
第二十八章贪污贿赂罪
第二十九章渎职罪
第三十章军人违反职责罪
后记

FAQ

Is this book suitable for self-study by readers outside the law major?

This book is a core-course textbook for undergraduate law programs at universities, written to meet the requirements of the main courses of higher legal education, and it is highly systematic with a dense use of technical terms. Readers with some legal background can study it on their own, but those with no background may get stuck on the concepts in the general part; it is advisable first to read an introduction to jurisprudence or criminal law, then use this book for systematic study.

What are the main changes in the ninth edition compared with earlier editions?

The materials state that this textbook focuses on presenting new developments in the rule of law in criminal matters and new achievements in criminal law theory since the promulgation of the new criminal code, while maintaining the scientific character, systematic nature, and relative stability of the content. The specific revisions are not listed one by one in the materials; readers should rely on the main text of the ninth edition and the current criminal code provisions, and update old notes accordingly.

Can the views in the book serve as a basis for exam answers?

As a core-course textbook organized by the Ministry of Education, this book systematically explains the basic principles and knowledge of criminal law and is suitable as a main reference for course study and exam review. Exam answers should also take into account the instructor's requirements and current legal provisions; where theoretical disagreements arise, base your answers on the textbook's prevailing view while paying attention to the views emphasized by your instructor.

In what order should I read the general and specific parts?

It is advisable to read the general part first and master the basic principles of general criminal law theory, the general theory of crime, and the general theory of penalties, since these are the tools for analyzing the specific offenses in the specific part. Then move on to the specific part, first grasping the common issues of the ten categories of crime, then studying the specific provisions on offenses and penalties chapter by chapter. If you skip directly to the specific part, you are likely to remember only conclusions without an analytical framework.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

高铭暄 Author

Gao Mingxuan is an author frequently mentioned in the field of Chinese legal textbooks, though reliable public information about him remains limited: his birth year, place of origin, education, and professional positions have not been reliably disclosed. Judging from the three works held in the collection, his writing centers on criminal law textbooks, including Criminal Law (9th Edition), Criminal Law (6th Edition), and Criminal Law (5th Edition). The repeated revisions suggest that the content is continually updated in line with legal provisions and teaching needs. In library classifications these textbooks fall under law and examinations, and they are aimed mainly at readers studying law school courses or preparing for legal professional qualification exams. The books typically combine conceptual explanation, doctrinal review, and summary of key points, with accurate and concise language suited to systematic review and reference. Because public information is limited, details of his life should not be speculated upon; readers may regard him as an author known for compiling criminal law textbooks.

马克昌 Author

Ma Kechang is an author in the field of Chinese legal textbooks, though publicly available information about him personally is currently quite limited. The library holds three of his works, all different editions of the textbook Criminal Law, including the sixth edition, the fifth edition, and the ninth edition, commonly classified under law and examination preparation. These works show that his writing centers on criminal law course teaching and exam-oriented needs, with content organized to systematically present basic concepts, principles, and institutions of criminal law. The language aims to be accurate and clearly structured, making the books suitable for classroom use and revision. The repeated revisions and editions suggest a degree of continuity and practical use in teaching, and the books offer reference value for readers studying foundational criminal law knowledge or preparing for related examinations.