Qing Shencha Guide

The origins of rigorous administrative and judicial review in China are deeply embedded in the . The legal process in the Qing Dynasty relied on a complex "shenzhuan" (审转) system—a mandatory multi-level review for all serious criminal cases.

This "shencha" (review) was intended to catch errors or fabrications. Historical records show that even when a death sentence was imminent, a high-level review could occasionally reveal innocence, as seen in the famous 1735 case where a "murdered" wife reappeared during the final appeal. qing shencha