Researching & Cite Checking Chinese,
Japanese & Korean (CJK) Law
Wei Luo, JD & MLS
Director of Technical Services
and Lecturer in Law
Room 257A, luo@wulaw.wustl.edu
August 20, 2009
© Wei Luo
What do we have in CJK laws?
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Most of primary CJK legal materials published in CJK
Can access most of the English translations
Almost all English monographs/journals about CJK
laws
Many new Chinese law books in Chinese and some
Japanese law books
Access to all Chinese and Korean legal periodicals
online, have major Japanese legal periodicals in
print
CJK location: first floor: KNN, KNP, KNQ; KNX, KPA
CJK Primary Legal Materials
Publishing
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Statutes Compilations, no codification
like USC or CFR
Only Japan has a more systematic case
law reporting system
English Translation of Foreign
Laws: expectation?
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Not all are translated
The publications of foreign law
translations are expensive
Primary Chinese Legal Materials
in English on the Web
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The English Version of ChinaLawInfo by
the Peking University Law School
(http://www.lawinfochina.com/index.asp ):
the most comprehensive Chinese law
website, more than 7,000 laws and
regulations and 700 cases
Lexis: LexisNexis China Law Database
FILE-NAME: LNCHNL, only about 800
documents being translated
Printed Primary Chinese Legal
Materials in English
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The China Law Reference Service (looseleaf),
Hong Kong : Asia Law & Practice Ltd., 1996-,
quarterly. The subscription has been canceled
since October 2000. KNQ1040 .C45.
The Laws of the People's Republic of China,
Beijing : Foreign Languages Press, 1987-,
annually. The coverage begins with 1979.
KNQ13 1979 .C6
Chinese Cases in English
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The Case Database at ChinaLawInfo
(http://www.lawinfochina.com/index.asp )
China Law Reports, Hong Kong:
Butterworths Asia, 1995- . 3 volumes in
1991. Since then, a few more volumes
covered some 1992-1994 Chinese cases
were published in 2001. KNQ19 .A35 1991
Japanese Statutes in English
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EHS law bulletin series, Japan, 1948- , very
selective laws are translated, KNX13 1948 .E39,
only a few hundreds being translated
Japanese Ministry of Justice:
http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/?re=02
[Mika's Homepage] (more than 100 English
translations of Japanese laws.)
http://homepage2.nifty.com/paper/lawcollection.ht
m
Japanese Cases in English
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Judgments of the Supreme Court of
Japan
http://www.courts.go.jp/english/judgmen
ts/index.html
Series of prominent judgments of the
Supreme Court upon questions of
constitutionality. no. 1-30 (1954-1999)
Ceased Publication. KNX2066.3 .J37
Korean Statutes in English
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Statutes of the Republic of Korea. Soul:
Popchecho (Korea Legislation Research
Institute), 1997- , KPA13 1997, this
looseleaf set contains approximately
1,000 important Acts and Presidential
Decrees, and regulations of South Korea.
Also available online for paid subscribers:
http://elaw.klri.re.kr/indexE.jsp
Korean Statutes
Free Korean Laws in English
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Korea Ministry of Government
Legislation
http://www.moleg.go.kr/english/korLaw
Eng
Korean Cases in English
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Selected Korean Supreme Court Cases
in English at
http://eng.scourt.go.kr/eng/decisions/g
uide.jsp
Our library has the similar publication in
print: The Supreme Court Decisions of
Korea KPA18.A35 S87, 3 volumes
(2006-2008)
CJK Romanization/Transliteration: Chinese
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Too many forms, for example: my last name
can be Luo in Mainland China, Lo in Taiwan
and Wade-Giles, Law in Hong Kong
Pinyin has been used in Mainland China and
recognized by the ISO & the Library of
Congress
Use Pinyin as the sole standard for Chinese
Romanization
CJK Romanization/Transliteration: Japanese
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Japan has two major systems too
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Hepburn system: the most popular and
used by the Library of Congress
Kunrei system: older for technical
translators
CJK Romanization/Transliteration: Korean
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Korea: three systems, i.e. LAW
McCune: used
by LC, and in
U.S.
Ministry of
Education:
1945-2002
New by the
Korean Gov.,
2003-
Pop Ryul
Peop Ryul
Beop Ryul
Romanization Standards:
Bibliographical Research
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Know the standard
WorldCat on OCLC, Chinese: pinyin,
For example: Zhonghua Renmin
Gongheguo fa lu hui bian = The law
compilation of the PRC
If cited sources in CJK vernacular,
how can you get help from authors?
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Ask for titles/names that authors cited
in English translation, Standard
Romanization, and CJK vernaculars
Ask for photocopies of the original
materials authors used
Citation Format: Bluebook, 18 ed.
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T.2: Foreign Jurisdictions
China, People’s Republic of, pp.258-263
Taiwan, Republic of China, pp.317-318
Hong Kong, pp.275-275
Japan, pp.287-289
No table/rule for Korea
Customize the Bluebook Rules with the
publications you have
Bluebook General Rules for Citing Sources
in Foreign Languages: Rule 20.2
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Cite the most official or authoritative
version
Give “full title or name in the original
language” or CJK Romanization at first
time + [English translation]
Abbreviations: give “full form at first
time + [abbreviations] and
Abbreviations used in T.2
Citation: Statutes
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CJK: no codification,
The updates to the publications listed in
the Bluebook are too slow to be
supplemented
Most the time, cite them as session
laws
Citation: Chinese Statutes (1)
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<Romanized Chinese name of legal
document> [<translated name in English>]
(<enacting/adopting authority>,
<promulgation date>, <effective
date>)<source> (P.R.C.).
Citation: Chinese Statutes (2)
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For the national law:
Ju min shen fen zheng fa [Resident Identification
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Card Law] (promulgated by the Standing Comm.
Nat’l People’s Cong., Jun. 28, 2003, effective Jan. 1,
2004) ChinaLawInfo (last visited Aug. 15, 2009)
(P.R.C.).
For regulations/rules:
Hun yin deng ji tiao li [Marriage Registration
Regulation], (promulgated by the St. Council, Aug.
18, 2003) ChinaLawinfo (last visited Aug. 15, 2009)
(P.R.C.).
Citation: Chinese Cases
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Cases: <Romanized case name>,
<source>, <date of publication>,
<page> (<court>, <date of decision>)
For example: Song Guanli v. Gu
Yungxiang, Ren min fa yuan an li xuan
[Selected Cases of the People’s Courts],
2001, Issue#1, at 48 (Xingxiang Shi
Interm. People’s Court, March 19, 1999)
Citation: Japan, Bluebook: p. 287
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Cases: similar to citing U.S. case law because
having a case reporting system: Hayashi v.
Uchiyama, 23 Minsho 441, 444-45 (Sup. Ct.,
Feb.27, 1967).
Statutes: simpler than citing Chinese statutes,
statutes by name, number and year from
authoritative sources + [translation], i.e.
Kenchiku kijunho [Building Standard Law],
Law No. 201 of 1950, art. 2, no. 9-2.
Citation: Korea
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Bluebook: no table or rule for Korea
Use Bluebook’s descriptions on China &
Japan as reference
Secondary Sources Citations (1)
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Use the relevant rules of the Bluebook
as reference
For Chinese books, you may add:
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Title in Pinyin + [English translation],
(Publisher, Publication year).
Luo Wei, Guo ji mao yi fa [International
Trade Law] 123 (Lujing Press, 1987).
Secondary Sources Citations (2)
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For Chinese and some Japanese & Korean
articles, you may not be able to use
<volume#> <periodical title> <page#>
You may use:
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Title in Pinyin [English], periodical name in Pinyin
[English], publication month & year, issue #,
paging
Gan Chaoduan, Jian li yi pan li fa wei zhu yao xing
shi de si fa jie shi ti zhi [Establishment of a Judicial
Interpretation System Primarily based on Case
Law], 2001:3 Fa xue ping lun [Law Review] 137
(2001).
Other Helps
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Look for a foreign lawyer in an American law
school
Provide authors with a customized Bluebook
formats for CJK sources
Ask authors to provide photocopies of cited CJK
sources
E-mail Discussion Groups on foreign laws, such
as ChinaLaw List
(http://docs.law.gwu.edu/facweb/dclarke/chinala
w/)
CJK Law in CJK Vernaculars
Chinese Statutes in Chinese
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http://www.chinalawinfo.com the most
comprehensive Chinese legal website
Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo fa lu quan
shu = The Compilation of the PRC’s Law,
KNQ12 C447
Chinese Cases in Chinese
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The most comprehensive case law database is
at www.chinalawinfo.com
Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo Zui gao ren min
fa yuan gong bao (Sup. People’s CT. Gaz. 中华
人民共和国最高人民法院公报) KNQ7 .Z851
Ren min fa yuan an li xuan (Selected Cases of
People’s Courts人民法院案例选), 1992- ,
KNQ19 .A3
Free Japanese Statues on the web
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法令データ提供システム (Hōrei dēta
teikyō shisutemu): Japanese
Government Website with the full text
of all laws.
http://law.e-gov.go.jp/cgibin/idxsearch.cgi
Free Japanese Cases on the Web
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判例検索システム [Hanrei Kensaku
Shisutemu], (Search all decisions of
various courts on the Supreme Court
website)
http://www.courts.go.jp/search/jhsp001
0?action_id=first&hanreiSrchKbn=01
Japanese statutes & cases in Japanese
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Hanrei taikei [electronic resource] = Judicial
information system, CD-Rom, the most
comprehensive Japanese publication on Japanese
laws and cases, located in Room 257, canceled in
2004
Roppō zensho (This annual is a collection of
important laws as amended through the
publication date.), KNX15 .R67
Free Korean Statutes and Cases in Korean
on the Web
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Ministry of Legislation 법제처 (Korean and
English), http://www.moleg.go.kr/. Includes an
on-line database of integrated legislative
information and court cases. Contains a variety of
Acts, regulations, court cases, and books on
jurisprudence. Information is searchable by
word/phrase, subject term, amendment number,
title, case number and so on.
CJK Legal Periodicals
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China: China Academic Journals Database
(CAJ): http://china.eastview.com
Japan: the law library subscribes to many
Japanese legal periodicals but no
comprehensive database
Korea: E-Korean Studies: http://www.ekoreanstudies.com/
CJK Books
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Search the Library Online Catalog:
catalog.wustl.edu to see if we have
Search www.WorldCat.org to see if we
can inter-library-loan for you
Questions?