Criminal Law: A Collection of New Essays (Vol. 1 & 2)

Author: The Authoring Group of This Book
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-01
Features: On August 26, 2004, Professor He Peng celebrated his 80th birthday. On this day, many of his disciples from Beijing, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, and other places gathered in the spring city to hold a warm and grand celebration in honor of him. Later, the disciples agreed to establish the "Three-One Project," which includes "a directory, a video disc, and a commemorative collection." Now, the "directory" and "video disc" have been completed, and the "commemorative collection" has also been published with the active efforts of the two senior lawyers, Wang Li and Li Guifang, and the strong support of the Legal Publishing House. However, due to the large number of articles included, the "commemorative collection" has expanded from one volume to two. On this occasion, at the request of my fellow disciples, I have written the preface for the "commemorative collection." Although I feel that my writing skills are inadequate to undertake this task, as the first master's and doctoral student of Professor He Peng, I also feel that I cannot shirk my responsibility, so I happily accepted the task. As the preface to this collection, it is appropriate to discuss Professor He Peng's academic status and thought in the field of criminal law first. However, the "Biographical Introduction to Professor He Peng" written by Comrade Wang Zhiyuan has been reviewed several times, and I find that his evaluation is quite fair and appropriate, making it unnecessary for me to elaborate further. I have specially selected a few unforgettable incidents to inspire younger scholars like myself.
One incident, I entered the Jilin University Law Department (which was still a unified department at the time) in 1980 to study criminal law. I was the only master's student in that year. At that time, in addition to me, only Teacher Lai Yu attended Professor He Peng's lectures, and no one else. Despite this, Professor He Peng consistently prepared his lessons diligently and attended classes personally, without fail, on time. This story is still celebrated to this day. I am now a master's supervisor and doctoral supervisor, and I find it difficult to maintain the same level of dedication when facing two students. As the old saying goes, "A glimpse of a leopard through a tube reveals a little of its spots." Although this is a small matter, it clearly reflects that Professor He Peng was not only rigorous in his academic pursuits but also meticulous in teaching and nurturing students. This spirit of scholarship and work ethic is something that younger scholars like myself may never fully achieve in a lifetime.
Another incident, Professor He Peng has 25 doctoral students who have already graduated. The papers of these 25 students range from tens of thousands of words to hundreds of thousands of words. Regardless of the length of the doctoral thesis, Professor He Peng would personally review and revise it from beginning to end, from the structure and layout to the basic viewpoints, from the argumentation to the use of materials, from logical thinking to language and writing, all with strict oversight, even correcting typos directly. What is even more commendable is that he treated not only his own doctoral students but also those of other supervisors he participated in defending with the same rigor. This is also a vivid embodiment of Professor He Peng's rigorous academic attitude and strict educational spirit.
Another incident, as shown in the academic achievements listed in the "Biographical Introduction to Professor He Peng," he published nearly 60 academic papers after his sixtieth birthday, and most of his academic monographs were completed and published after the age of sixty. Even after his seventieth birthday, he still published over a dozen academic papers and completed and published two monographs. This spirit of an old horse tilling the field without rest, pursuing academic exploration without ceasing, is also something that younger scholars like myself may never fully achieve in a lifetime.
In 1999, at the 50th anniversary celebration of Professor He Peng's teaching career, I composed a pair of long couplets as my speech. From the basic content of these couplets, I believe they are not out of place for celebrating Professor He Peng's 80th birthday, so I have attached them as the concluding remarks of the preface to this collection:
Horizontal title: A Criminal Law Master of the Generation
Upper couplet: Taught law for half a century, accompanying the law through ups and downs. Though snow and frost have pressed and struck, his passion remains unchanged. Establishing words, virtue, and achievements, pouring heart and blood, all in one consistent spirit. In academia: Created great achievements in establishing a master's program in criminal law, built remarkable achievements in establishing a doctoral program in criminal law, became the North Star of foreign criminal law, and became the Mount Tai of comparative criminal law, renowned both east and west, his name recorded in "Cambridge,"① his writings shining and celebrated across the world.
Lower couplet: Nurtured a generation of students, sharing the law through hardships. Though wind and waves have blown and surged, his foolish heart remains unwavering. Nurturing scholarship, career, and school, utterly loyal and sincere, with two hearts and no care. Among his disciples: Bathed in the spring rain of a master's program in law, enjoying the honor of a doctoral program in law, serving as the head of the national anti-corruption campaign, holding the insignia of the national criminal police commander, his fame spanning north and south, rising in "Beijing,"② his peach blossoms and plums fragrant across the nine provinces.