The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Penal

OrderofthePresidentofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaNo.38TheLawofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaonPenaltiesforAdministrationofPublicSecurity,adoptedatthe17thMeetingoftheStandingCommitteeoftheTenthNationalPeople’sCongressofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaonAugust28,2005,isherebypromulgatedandshallgointoeffectasofMarch1,2006.HuJintaoPresidentofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaAugust28,2005(Adoptedatthe17thMeetingoftheStandingCommitteeoftheTenthNationalPeople’sCongressonAugust28,2005)ContentsChapterIGeneralProvisionsChapterIITypesofPenaltiesandTheirApplicationChapterIIIActsAgainsttheAdministrationofPublicSecurityandPenaltiesSection1ActsDisturbingPublicOrderandPenaltiesSection2ActsImpairingPublicSecurityandPenaltiesSection3ActsInfringinguponRightsofthePersonandofPropertyandPenaltiesSection4ActsImpedingSocialAdministrationandPenaltiesChapterIVProcedureofPenaltiesSection1InvestigationSection2DecisionSection3ExecutionChapterVLawEnforcementSupervisionChapterVISupplementaryProvisionsChapterIGeneralProvisionsArticle1ThisLawisformulatedinordertomaintaintheorderofpublicsecurity,safeguardpublicsafety,protectthelawfulrightsandinterestsofcitizens,legalpersonsandotherorganizations,andregularizeandguaranteeperformanceofthedutiesforadministrationofpublicsecuritybypublicsecurityorgansandpeople’spoliceaccordingtolaw.Article2Apersonwhodisturbspublicorder,endangerspublicsafety,infringesontherightsofpersonandpropertyorhamperssocialadministration,whichisharmfultothesocietyandwhich,accordingtotheprovisionsoftheCriminalLawofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,constitutesacrime,shallbeinvestigatedforcriminalresponsibilityaccordingtolaw;andifsuchanactisnotseriousenoughforcriminalpunishment,thepublicsecurityorganshallimposeonhimapenaltyforadministrationofpublicsecurityaccordingtothisLaw.Article3TheprovisionsofthisLawareapplicabletotheprocedureofpenaltiesforadministrationofpublicsecurity;andtocasesforwhichnosuchprovisionsarestipulatedinthisLaw,therelevantprovisionsoftheLawofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaonAdministrativePenaltyshallbeapplicable.Article4ThisLawshallbeapplicabletoactscommittedagainsttheadministrationofpublicsecuritywithintheterritoryofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,exceptwherespeciallyprovidedforbyotherlaws.ThisLawshallbeapplicabletoactsagainsttheadministrationofpublicsecuritycommittedaboardshipsoraircraftsofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,exceptwherespeciallyprovidedforbyotherlaws.Article5Apenaltyforadministrationofpublicsecurityshallbebasedonfactsandfitthenatureandcircumstancesoftheactcommittedagainsttheadministrationofpublicsecurityandtheextentofharmdonetothesociety.Penaltiesforadministrationofpublicsecurityshallbeimposedopenlyandimpartially,humanrightsshallberespectedandsafeguarded,andthedignityofcitizensshallbeprotected.Theprincipleofcombiningeducationwithpenaltyshallbeupheldindealingwithcasesofpublicsecurity.Article6People’sgovernmentsatvariouslevelsshallmakecomprehensiveimprovementofpublicsecurityandtakeeffectivemeasurestodissolvesocialcontradictions,enhancesocialharmonyandmaintainsocialstability.Article7ThedepartmentofpublicsecurityundertheStateCouncilshallberesponsibleforadministrationofpublicsecuritythroughoutthecountry.Thepublicsecurityorgansofthelocalpeople’sgovernmentsatorabovethecountylevelshallberesponsibleforadministrationofpublicsecuritywithintheirrespectiveadministrativeareas.JurisdictionoverthecasesofpublicsecurityshallbedeterminedbythedepartmentofpublicsecurityundertheStateCouncil.Article8Whereanactagainsttheadministrationofpublicsecuritycausesharmtoanotherperson,thepersoncommittingsuchactorhisguardianshallbearcivilliabilityaccordingtolaw.Article9Inrespectofactsagainsttheadministrationofpublicsecurity,suchasbrawlinganddamagingordestroyinganotherperson’sproperty,whicharecausedbycivildisputes,ifthecircumstancesarerelativelyminor,thepublicsecurityorganmaydisposeofthemthroughmediation.Wherethepartiesconcernedreachanagreementthroughmediationbythepublicsecurityorgan,nopenaltiesshallbeimposed.Wherenoagreementisreachedthroughmediationortheagreement,althoughreached,isnotexecuted,thepublicsecurityorganshall,inaccordancewiththeprovisionsofthisLaw,imposepenaltiesuponthepersonscommittingtheactsagainsttheadministrationofpublicsecurityandnotifythepartiesconcernedthattheymay,accordingtolaw,bringacivilactionbeforeapeople’scourtinrespectofthecivildisputes.ChapterIITypesofPenaltiesandTheirApplicationArticle10Penaltiesforactsagainsttheadministrationofpublicsecurityaredividedintothefollowingtypes:(1)warning;(2)fine;(3)administrativedetention;and(4)revocationoflicensesissuedbypublicsecurityorgans.Toaforeignerwhoactsagainsttheadministrationofpublicsecurity,leavingthecountrywithinatimelimitordeportationattachedtoapenaltymaybeapplicable.Article11Contrabandseizedindealingwithcasesofpublicsecuritysuchasdrugsandpornographicobjects,gamblingdevices,moneyforgambling,devicesusedforingestingorinjectingdrugs,andtheinstrumentsownedanddirectlyusedbythepersonsintheiractsagainsttheadministrationofpublicsecurityshallbetakenover,andshallbedisposedofaccordingtorelevantregulations.Themone