Written using official records and other sources, British Rule in China is the first systematic account of the legal history of Weihaiwei, a small territory leased by China to Britain in 1898. It is a fascinating and accessible account of the territory’s constitution, laws, courts, judges and magistrates, penal policy, and police force. The book explores the various problems and controversies faced by the local authorities in administering justice as well as their attempts to resolve them. This is the first work to examine thoroughly, through research into the law, the history of Weihaiwei under British rule. Whilst looking also at the legal status of Weihaiwei, its laws and institutions, this work also pays attention to particular aspects of the legal system which had the greatest impact on the lives of the ordinary villagers in this part of China. Based on extensive research of primary sources, British Rule in China is a fascinating and readable account of a legal system and the response of the territory’s Chinese residents to it. Series Editors: Anthony Dicks and Michael Palmer