News

In the afternoon of August 21, 2025, JAVY (Chongqing) Law Firm invited Professor Chen Wei, an expert in criminal law from Southwest University of Political Science and Law, to hold a lecture entitled “Substantive Interpretation of Criminal Law and its Practical Application - Defining the Distinction between Criminal and Civil, Execution and Punishment”.

Mr. Tang Zhangfu, the director of the firm, firstly delivered a speech to warmly welcome Prof. Chen Wei, and introduced in detail the future development strategic plan, management system, business areas and professional characteristics of JAVY Chongqing.

Professor Chen, as a leading expert in the field of criminal law, possesses a solid academic foundation and extensive practical experience. During the lecture, he delivered an in-depth yet accessible explanation on the theme of “Substantive Interpretation in Criminal Law and Its Practical Application — Distinguishing Between Criminal, Civil, and Administrative Penalties.” He emphasized that substantive interpretation of criminal law is not a arbitrary interpretation detached from the legal text, but rather involves interpreting legal norms within the framework of legal provisions, taking into account social realities, legislative purposes, and the spirit of the law, to arrive at an interpretation that aligns with substantive justice. The case of the forced marriage rape in Datong, Shanxi Province, serves as an example of a non-typical case.

When discussing the distinction between criminal and civil cases, as well as between criminal and administrative cases, Professor Chen provided a detailed analysis of the differences between criminal, civil, and administrative cases in terms of legal application and liability through numerous vivid examples. He emphasized that accurately distinguishing between criminal and civil cases, as well as between criminal and administrative cases, is of great significance for ensuring judicial fairness and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of parties involved. For example, in some economic dispute cases, determining whether an act constitutes civil breach of contract or criminal offense requires a comprehensive consideration of factors such as the defendant's subjective intent, manner of conduct, and harmful consequences. This places high demands on the professional competence of judicial personnel. During the open discussion and exchange session, lawyers such as Wu Changhua from Taihe Tai (Chongqing), Dai Xiang from Jingshi (Chongqing), Zhang Xin from Randy (Chongqing), Li Haiyan from Baijun, and Zeng Yi from JAVY (Chongqing) posed their questions and shared their insights with Professor Chen, who addressed each one in turn, sparking lively discussions among the participants.

Through this learning experience, as practicing attorneys, we can better analyze cases using Professor Chen's profound theoretical research findings, and then return to theory through practice to verify our findings. Following this exchange, everyone agreed that they had gained a great deal. The lecture was rich in content and highly targeted, broadening our horizons and increasing our knowledge in the areas of substantive interpretation of criminal law and the distinction between criminal and civil law, as well as administrative and criminal law. Additionally, the rigorous and meticulous work ethic and vibrant academic atmosphere of JAVY (Chongqing) Law Firm left a deep impression on all participating lawyers.