A Photo of Luo Jiezhen [Photo provided by bisu.edu.cn]

Professor Luo Jiezhen was born in Wangjiang county, Anhui province, in 1945. He was a French major student in 1965 at Beijing International Studies University (BISU). In 1972, Luo graduated and went to work in Guinea for two years as a translator with the Beijing medical team. In 1975, Luo returned to China and served as a French teacher at the BISU. In August 1984, Luo went to France to study civil and commercial laws and tourism laws. In 1986, he returned to China and gave a tourism law course at the BISU, and published more than 10 tourism law-related papers and books on the tourism economy. Since 1990, Luo has served at the office of academic affairs, the department of hotel management and the office of academic research, as well as having worked as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of BISU.

Dedicated to the national legal system construction

In 1992, Luo began to translate major French legislations and related legal monographs. Since the articles have rigorous language logic and cover issues across wide fields, the translation of such documents not only requires abundant professional knowledge but also a lot of time and energy. 

Although it is a tough task to translate monographs, Luo has been involved in this work for more than 30 years. Luo has dedicated himself to the translation of legal monographs with passion and perseverance, fulfilling the long-cherished wish of several generations of Chinese jurists, and has made great contributions to the improvement and development of China’s legal system. 

The French Code of Criminal Procedures [Photo provided by bisu.edu.cn]

As for the original intention of translating the French code, Luo mentioned that the French laws are representative of the continental legal system, as well as one of the models of modern bourgeois legal system construction, which has a wide influence around the world. The French Civil Code and the French Penal Code are classic works of global legal monographs. Translating foreign legal codes had been the long wish of Chinese jurists since the late Qing Dynasty. Therefore, the translation work has profound social meaning and academic value. French laws are the foundation for the progress of modern French society. Learning about French laws is helpful for China’s Reform and Opening up and the construction of a democratic, civilized and progressive country under the rule of law. 

Even though Professor Luo has gained achievements in French laws translation and received high praise from governmental departments of China and France, experts, scholars and society, he never stops doing the translation work of French legal documents. Just as he said 10 years ago: “I will give up all my space time to reach my goal. The French Civil Code is a classic work of advanced culture in human history, which has a profound influence around the world and occupies an irreplaceable position in the global legal system. Currently, China is making the Civil Code, and I will provide a unique reference.”

Luo Jiezhen in France [Photo provided by bisu.edu.cn]

By the end of 2004, Luo had completed the translation of articles and court cases in the French Civil Code. “I certainly know the influence of this book. I translated it very carefully and proofread it four times. It was a really tough task, but it has been helpful to China’s legal construction, so it’s worthy of all my efforts,” he added. 

As a gift work on the 200th anniversary of the French Civil Code and the Sino-French culture year, Luo’s translation was highly praised in China and France. On April 25, 2013, China’s first tourism law was released. Luo participated in the investigation, consultation and drafting of the law, making his contribution to the construction of China’s tourism legal system. 

Winning wide praise both at home and abroad

Through several decades of effort, Luo has published more than 18 million words of French law translation works, including the French Civil Code, the French Code of Civil Procedure, the Commercial Code, the French Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code of the French Republic. 

Parts of Luo’s translation works [Photo provided by bisu.edu.cn]

Luo’s translation work has gained the full recognition of China’s jurisprudential circle because of his accurate, clear and standard translation of the spirit of French codes. “Different from the old rigid practice of translating foreign legal codes, Luo’s translation works are accurate, fluent and clear, which are suitable for Chinese people's reading and provide important reference for China’s legislation and justice,” said a scholar in the jurisprudential circle. 

The New French Penal Code [Photo provided by bisu.edu.cn]

The French Civil Code [Photo provided by bisu.edu.cn]

The Commercial Code [Photo provided by bisu.edu.cn]