This book systematically examines the insights of Liang Qichao, a pioneering reformist thinker of modern China, on traditional Chinese legal institutions. Through a comparative lens between China and the West, Liang analyzes the evolution of Chinese legal systems from the pre-Qin era to the late Qing dynasty, with a focus on Confucian ritual-law traditions, Legalist penal theories, and the characteristics and limitations of major legal codes such as the Tang Code and the Great Qing Legal Code. He critically argues that traditional Chinese law overemphasized imperial authority and moral indoctrination while lacking procedural justice and individual rights-key reasons for China's historical struggle to develop modern rule of law organically.

The book highlights Liang's perspectives on the interplay between legal reform and social transformation, including his reflections on debates like "Rites vs. Law" and the failed Hundred Days' Reform (1898). Liang stresses that legal modernization must align with public intellectual awakening and institutional restructuring. The appendix features rare manuscripts and speeches, offering invaluable resources for studying China's legal modernization.

More than a historical study, this work provides timeless reflections on the challenges and pathways of China's transition toward rule of law, making it essential for scholars of legal history and comparative jurisprudence.