上海近代法制若干问题研究

Several Issues Concerning the Legal System in Shanghai from 1840s to 1940s

上海近代法制是值得深入研究的法制现象。它开启了中国法制近代化的进程,使中国法制近代化的起点从鸦片战争结束以后就开始,而不是从20世纪初的清末法制改革才起步。它的租界法制是中国近代持续时间最长的区域法制,前后延续百年时间,为其他近代区域法制所不可比拟。它支撑并促进了上海近代城市的建设与发展,助力上海成为“东方的巴黎”与“东方的纽约”。它可研究的内容有很多,其中包括:近代上海“一地三域”与“一地三制”的形成;上海租界先于上海华界建立起近代法制,这也是近代中国最早建立的区域法制;上海华界与租界都在上海城区,它们的法制还颇有互动;上海近代法制对中国法制近代化和上海的城市建设与发展都产生过影响;上海近代法制对今天上海区域法治建设仍有借鉴作用,等等。当前,上海近代法制的研究方兴未艾,还有更多领域等待着开发与探索。

The legal system in Shanghai from the 1840sto the 1940sis worthy of study,for it initiated the process of the modern development of China's legal system.In this sense,the starting point of China's development of modern legal system can be traced back to the ending of the Opium Wars rather than the Qing Dynasty's legal reform in the early 20th century.The legal system in Zujie租界(Shanghai International Settlement)was the regional legal system lasting nearly 100years,the longest time in modern Chinese history,thus being incomparably longer than any other regional legal system.It promoted and supported the construction and development of Shanghai at that time,turning it into the so-called“Paris of the East”and“New York of the East”.Concerning the legal system in that period,there are many issues worthy of study,including:the formation of the pattern of“one city three regions”and“one city three systems”;the fact that the legal system in Zujie was established earlier than that in Huajie华界(the part of Shanghai which was governed by Chinese),which brought into being the earliest regional legal system in modern China;the interaction between the legal systems in Huajie and Zujie,though located in the same city of Shanghai;the fact that the legal system in that period had influenced the development of China's legal system and the construction and development of Shanghai at that time;the implication of the legal system in Shanghai in modern times for the development of rule of law in Shanghai today.Since the study on Shanghai's legal system from the 1840sto the 1940sis still in its infancy,there are more areas to be developed and explored.