The Civil Code
The Civil Code holds an important position second only to the Constitution in the state system of laws. It is the basic law governing the market economy and the basic code of conduct for the citizens, and provides legal basis for judges to refer to when ruling civil and commercial cases.
China had made three attempts to compile a civil code, in 1954, 1962 and 1979, only to stop for various reasons. To protect the civil rights and interests of Chinese citizens and legal persons of corporations, properly adjust civil relations, and meet the requirements of socialist modernization, the NPC compiled the General Principles of Civil Law, which were promulgated in April 1986 and implemented since January 1, 1987. On March 15, 2017, the General Provisions of Civil Law were adopted after being reviewed by the NPC.
On December 16, 2019, the draft Civil Code was made public. A week later, at the 15th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th NPC, the whole draft of the Civil Code was deliberated, including different draft books and the General Provisions of Civil Law. The draft had 1,260 articles in seven books – general parts, real rights, contracts, personality rights, marriage and family, succession, and tort liability – and supplementary provisions.
On May 28, 2020, the 13th NPC adopted the Civil Code at its third session, and the law came into effect on January 1, 2021.
The Civil Code is the first law to be enacted by the People's Republic that carries the title "code." It holds an important position in the socialist system of laws with Chinese characteristics. It is a fundamental law that serves to build the legal foundation, confirm expectations, and yield long-term development. It integrates the civil laws and norms applied in China over the past seven decades, is rooted in the Chinese legal culture that has existed for 5,000 years, and draws on the experience of other countries in applying the rule of law.
The Civil Code reflects the nature of Chinese socialism, the interests and will of the people, and the requirements of the times. It safeguards equal protection to life and health, property security, convenient transactions, happy life, personal dignity, and other rights. It displays Chinese features, is based on practice, and encapsulates the spirit of the times.
中华人民共和国民法典
民法典在国家法律体系中的地位仅次于宪法。民法典是市场经济的基本法、市民生活的基本行为准则，法官裁判民商事案件的基本依据。中国曾于1954年、1962年、1979年三次启动民法典的制定。随后，全国人民代表大会为保障公民、法人的合法的民事权益，正确调整民事关系，适应社会主义现代化建设事业发展的需要，根据宪法和中国实际情况，总结民事活动的实践经验，制定了《中华人民共和国民法通则》，并于1986年4月颁布实施，自1987年1月1日起施行，被称为“准法典”。直到2017年3月15日，《中华人民共和国民法总则》经全国人大审议通过，中国正式全面开启民法典时代。
2019年12月16日，《中华人民共和国民法典》草案公布。 2019年12月23日，十三届全国人大常委会第十五次会议开幕，由民法典各分编草案与2017年制定的民法总则“合体”而成的《中华人民共和国民法典（草案）》首次亮相。草案共7编，依次为总则编、物权编、合同编、人格权编、婚姻家庭编、继承编、侵权责任编，以及附则，共1260条。2020年5月28日，十三届全国人大三次会议表决通过了《中华人民共和国民法典》。这部法律自2021年1月1日起施行。
《中华人民共和国民法典》是新中国成立以来第一部以“法典”命名的法律，在中国特色社会主义法律体系中具有重要地位，是一部固根本、稳预期、利长远的基础性法律。这部民法典系统整合了新中国成立70多年来长期实践形成的民事法律规范，汲取了中华民族5000多年优秀法律文化，借鉴了人类法治文明建设有益成果，是一部体现中国社会主义性质、符合人民利益和愿望、顺应时代发展要求的民法典，是一部体现对生命健康、财产安全、交易便利、生活幸福、人格尊严等各方面权利平等保护的民法典，是一部具有鲜明中国特色、实践特色、时代特色的民法典。