Finding Chinese laws and court judgments
The National Database of Laws and Regulations, run by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, publishes the official texts of the Constitution, national laws, administrative regulations, local regulations and judicial interpretations. China Judgements Online, run by the Supreme People's Court, publishes judgments and rulings of courts at all levels.
What it publishes
- Current and historical texts of laws and administrative regulations, with effective dates.
- Local regulations and judicial interpretations.
- Published court judgments and rulings (China Judgements Online).
Key datasets
- National Database of Laws and Regulations
Search laws and regulations by title, type and status (Chinese).
- China Judgements Online
Search published judgments; requires registration and may be slow from abroad.
- Regulations on Open Government Information
China's main rules on access to government information.
APIs and downloads
- Law texts downloadIndividual laws can be downloaded as Word or PDF files from the database.
When it publishes
New laws are added after promulgation. Judgments are uploaded by courts on a rolling basis, and not all judgments are published.
How to use it to check a claim
- Check the law's status (in force, amended or repealed) and effective date in the database.
- Quote the Chinese title; English titles vary between translations.
- Do not infer case counts from China Judgements Online; publication is selective.
Common mistakes
- China Judgements Online can be slow or time out from outside China; some automated checks on 13 October 2026 failed while others succeeded.
- There is no official English version of most laws.
Is there an official English translation of Chinese laws?
Only some laws have official English versions, published by the NPC; most translations are unofficial.
Questions answered using this source
Links checked 14 October 2026. This page describes what the source publishes and gives no verdict on any claim.