Qingchao "Zhuangshi Tiaoli" yanjiu.

The "Rules for Civil Litigation" (Zhuangshi Tiaoli) were the most important set of rules for local litigation in the Qing Dynasty. These rules, which had been printed on petition forms, were meant to control the procedures by which litigants filed complaints. The Qing Code was positive law mainly regarding crime and punishment, and litigation rules based on tradition and government's interests were not part of the Code. The rules were the most significant laws on litigation at the local level and were mostly uniform across Qing China. The Rules for Civil Litigation focused on limiting behavior of litigants before the yamen heard cases. Although The Rules for Civil Litigation contained important procedural rules, it actually served to facilitate acceptance of petitions and was aimed at keeping judicial order in the empire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]