The Temperature of the Death Penalty

Name: The Temperature of the Death Penalty
ISBN: 9787108063243

刘仁文SDX Joint Publishing Company · ChinaJun 2025

4.2

Word count: 234K words
Chapters: 72
ISBN: 9787108063243

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Summary

For over a decade, Professor Liu Renwen has consistently focused on the issue of the death penalty. This book brings together his insights and reflections on death penalty research over the years. Centered on the global trend toward abolition, the history and progress of death penalty reform in China, the power of approval, methods of execution, the development of related institutions, and striking capital cases, it explores in depth the dream and reality of abolishing the death penalty in China. The book puts forward many practicable and forward-looking proposals, and between the lines it consistently embodies an academic humanistic concern and reveals a plain yet profound sensibility.

Editor's review

Professor Liu Renwen's *The Temperature of the Death Penalty* is a major work of legal scholarship that combines intellectual depth with humanistic concern. Taking "temperature" as its entry point, the book explores what is generally regarded as the coldest and harshest of topics—the death penalty. Drawing on his deep academic grounding at the Institute of Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and his years of sustained observation of death penalty systems around the world, the author constructs for readers a framework of thought that goes beyond purely technical legal discussion. The book does not stop at the simple binary debate over retention or abolition; rather, it probes the historical context, cultural psychology, social sentiment, and complex realities of judicial practice behind the death penalty system. Particularly praiseworthy is that, alongside rigorous scholarly analysis, the author始终 retains a profound concern for the value of life, individual destiny, and the ultimate goals of judicial justice—this is precisely the true meaning of "temperature" in the title. For legal practitioners, the book offers international perspectives and deeply grounded thinking on death penalty reform in the Chinese context; for general readers, it is a valuable key to understanding the complex relationship among punishment, justice, and human nature in modern society. Reading this book is not only an acquisition of knowledge but also a gentle examination of and inquiry into one's own values.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in law, sociology, and public policy who wish to understand the nature of punishment in depth
Those concerned with topical social issues, especially judicial reform and human rights protection
Law students and practitioners seeking to broaden their theoretical and comparative-law perspectives on the death penalty system
Readers who enjoy non-fiction that combines rational analysis with humanistic concern

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light entertainment or purely technical legal manuals
Readers lacking the basic patience for serious social issues and scholarly discussion

Reading tips

It is recommended to read the preface and table of contents first to grasp the author's core problematic and the book's structure
While reading, consider connecting the discussion with high-profile death penalty cases in China and abroad in recent years
The book involves comparative law; readers may slow down appropriately to understand the logic behind different systems

About the publisher

SDX Joint Publishing Company China · Founded in 1932

SDX Joint Publishing Company is a publisher known for its humanities and social science titles, covering classics, culture, history, social fiction and politics. Its catalogue of 826 books includes Chinese and foreign literary classics such as The Scholars, Camel Xiangzi and Selected Short Stories of Chekhov, scholarly works such as Studies of Chinese Cave Temples, A Study of the Tuoba History (Revised Edition) and The Nine-Rank System: A Prehistory of the Imperial Examination, and translations such as Red Star Over China and Notes from the House of the Dead. Its authors include renowned Chinese and foreign writers such as Wu Jingzi, Lao She, Su Bai and Chekhov, as well as scholars and translators such as Chen Xiaoming, Wang Benhua, Guo Changbao and Zhu Xiansheng. Its publishing character lies in balancing the popularisation of classics with academic depth, with attention to textual quality and the transmission of knowledge.

版权信息
超越愤怒（增订版序）
超越悲剧（第一版序）
第一编理想与现实
宽恕
司法宽容需要这样伟大的母亲
一个死刑案件的跟踪
当场击毙必须掂量五个问题
民意与死刑判决
人权：判处死刑的死刑
生活在一个没有死刑的社会，我们准备好了吗
人道主义背景下的死刑改革
刑法大修：逐步减少死刑罪名仍是趋势
2016年：平反冤案值得肯定，死刑控制任重道远
复旦“求情信”呼吁“超越悲剧”
第二编他山之石
荷兰的三个命案判决
世界死刑存废趋势
与巴丹戴尔先生谈死刑
生命无价——《死刑的全球考察》译后记
死刑的威慑力问题
“终身监禁”并不等于在监狱中度余生
联合国通过全球暂停执行死刑议案意味着什么
从日本恢复执行死刑看废除死刑的复杂性
亚洲死刑观察
第三编中国之路
严格限制死刑的几个前提条件——在哈佛大学的演讲
中国的死刑制度及其改革——在外国记者驻华俱乐部的演讲
废除死刑是否需要设立期限
68个死刑罪名可废除67个半——关于死刑的对话
中国废除死刑之路——在中国政法大学“蓟门决策”论坛上的演讲
死刑改革不能倒退，只能前进
中国的死刑改革之路——在燕山大讲堂的演讲
中国死刑存废的现状与争议——在岭南大讲坛的演讲
要创造条件取消贪腐犯罪的死刑
为什么要创造条件废除贪腐犯罪的死刑
死刑削减仍然在路上
死刑的宪法维度
第四编生杀大权
死刑核准权“回归”的四大好处
如何收回死刑核准权
死刑复核权不应仅仅是收回
落实死刑案件二审开庭
“留有余地”与“疑罪从无”
寄望最高法院审慎复核吴英案
对最高检死刑复核检察厅的三点期待
加强检察机关对死刑二审案件的法律监督
最高法院死刑复核结果应当直接通知律师
第五编执行的风度
废除“死刑立即执行”的提法
死刑执行的方法及相关问题
解密注射死刑执行车
死刑执行权应从法院剥离出来
废止枪决统一注射死刑的条件已经成熟
从美国经验看注射执行死刑的改进
刑法的人道化历程
注射死刑：12年的静止与变化
用注射取代枪决，实现死刑执行方法的统一
第六编死刑的温度
加强对死刑案件的辩护
死刑复核被告人应有法律援助权
死刑案件不应排除和解
死刑案件特别赦免程序之构想
美国弱智罪犯不执行死刑之启示
绝症死刑犯与人文关怀
对老年罪犯免死是智慧的立法
死囚生育权带来的法律思考
死刑犯器官利用需进一步规范
为什么不知道马加爵被执行死刑
死刑犯行刑前应有权会见亲属
建立对刑事被害人的补偿制度
后记

FAQ

Does this book argue for abolishing the death penalty?

This book is not a simple manifesto for "retention or abolition." With a prudent and rational approach, the author systematically analyzes the various arguments for and against the death penalty, and focuses on exploring possible paths for restricting and reforming the death penalty system in the Chinese context. Its core is to promote a more rational, more humane view of punishment that better accords with judicial civilization.

Can readers without a legal background understand it?

Yes. The author's style is clear and strives to explain profound ideas in accessible terms. Necessary professional concepts are explained, and the discussion is closely tied to social reality and universal reflections on human nature, so general readers can fully follow the author's logic for valuable reading and reflection.

How does this book relate to the author's other works?

This book is one concentrated expression of Professor Liu Renwen's long-term research in criminal law. Together with his works on criminal law theory, the judicial system, and criminology, it forms part of his scholarly system. The discussion of the death penalty in this book also reflects his consistent "three-dimensional criminal law" approach—examining criminal law issues from multiple dimensions.

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About the author

刘仁文 Author

Liu Renwen is an author in the field of law, though publicly available information about him is limited, and details such as his nationality and dates of birth and death remain unclear. Five of his works are included in the collection: Criminal Law Regulation and Improvement of Securities and Futures Crimes, The Temperature of the Death Penalty, Death Penalty Reform and National Governance, Details of Justice, and The Lamp Cord of Law (Revised and Expanded Edition). These works focus on criminal law and the judicial system, covering specialized discussion of the criminal-law regulation of securities and futures crimes, sustained attention to the death penalty system and paths for its reform, and concrete details of judicial operation together with essay-style legal writing. Overall, his writing combines institutional analysis with concern for real-world issues and is addressed both to legal researchers and to general readers interested in judicial matters.