繼承法英文版

1、LawofSuccessionofthePeoplesRepublicofChina(AdoptedattheThirdSessionoftheSixthNationalPeoplesCongressonApril10,1985andpromulgatedbyOrderNo.24ofthePresidentofthePeoplesRepublicofChinaonApril10,1985)ContentsGeneralProvisionsStatutorySuccessionTestamentarySuccessionandLegacyDispositionoftheEstateSupplem

2、entaryProvisionsChapterIGeneralProvisionsThisLawisenactedpursuanttotheprovisionsoftheConstitutionofthePeoplesRepublicofChinawithaviewtoprotectingtherightofcitizenstoinheritprivateproperty.Successionbeginsatthedeathofacitizen.Estatedenotesthelawfulpropertyownedbyacitizenpersonallyatthetimeofhisdeath,

3、whichconsistsof:hisincome;hishouses,savingsandarticlesofeverydayuse;hisforesttrees,livestockandpoultry;hisculturalobjects,booksandreferencematerials;meansofproductionlawfullyownedbyhim;hispropertyrightspertainingtocopyrightandpatentrights;andhisotherlawfulproperty.Personalbenefitsaccruingfromacontra

4、ctenteredintobyanindividualareheritableinaccordancewiththeprovisionsofthisLaw.Contractingbyanindividual,ifpermittedbylawtobecontinuedbythesuccessor,shallbetreatedinaccordancewiththetermsofthecontract.Successionshall,afteritsopening,behandledinaccordancewiththeprovisionsofstatutorysuccession;whereawi

5、llexists,itshallbehandledinaccordancewithtestamentarysuccessionoraslegacy;wherethereisanagreementforlegacyinreturnforsupport,theformershallbehandledinaccordancewiththetermsoftheagreement.Therighttoinheritanceorlegacyofacompetentpersonshallbeexercisedonhisbehalfbyhisstatutoryagent.Therighttoinheritan

6、ceorlegacyofapersonwithlimitedcapacityshallbeexercisedonhisbehalfbyhisstatutoryagentorbysuchpersonhimselfafterobtainingtheconsentofhisstatutoryagent.Asuccessorshallbedisinheriteduponhiscommissionofanyoneofthefollowingacts:intentionalkillingofthedecedent;killinganyothersuccessorinfightingovertheestat

7、e;aseriousactofabandoningormaltreatingthedecedent;oraseriousactofforging,tamperingwithordestroyingthewill.Article8Thetimelimitforinstitutionoflegalproceedingspertainingtodisputesovertherighttoinheritanceistwoyears,countingfromthedaythesuccessorbecameorshouldhavebecomeawareoftheviolationofhisrighttoi

8、nheritance.Nolegalproceedings,however,maybeinstitutedaftertheexpirationofaperiodof20yearsfromthedaysuccessionbegan.ChapterIIStatutorySuccessionMalesandfemalesareequalintheirrighttoinheritance.Theestateofthedecedentshallbeinheritedinthefollowingorder:Firstinorder:spouse,children,parents.Secondinorder

9、:brothersandsisters,paternalgrandparents,maternalgrandparents.Whensuccessionopens,thesuccessor(s)firstinordershallinherittotheexclusionofthesuccessor(s)secondinorder.Thesuccessor(s)secondinordershallinheritindefaultofanysuccessorfirstinorder.ThechildrenreferredtointhisLawincludelegitimatechildren,il

10、legitimatechildrenandadoptedchildren,aswellasstep-childrenwhosupportedorweresupportedbythedecedent.TheparentsreferredtointhisLawincludenaturalparentsandadoptiveparents,aswellasstep-parentswhosupportedorweresupportedbythedecedent.ThebrothersandsistersreferredtointhisLawincludebloodbrothersandsisters,

11、brothersandsistersofhalfblood,adoptedbrothersandsisters,aswellasstep-brothersandstep-sisterswhosupportedorweresupportedbythedecedent.Whereadecedentsurvivedhischild,thedirectlinealdescendantsofthepredeceasedchildshallinheritinsubrogation.Descendantswhoinheritinsubrogationgenerallyshalltakeonlytheshar

12、eoftheestatetheirfatherormotherisentitledto.Widoweddaughters-in-laworsons-in-lawwhohavemadethepredominantcontributionsinmaintainingtheirparents-in-lawshall,inrelationshiptotheirparents-in-law,beregardedassuccessorsfirstinorder.Successorssameinordershall,ingeneral,inheritinequalshares.Atthetimeofdist

13、ributingtheestate,dueconsiderationshallbegiventosuccessorswhoareunabletoworkandhavespecialfinancialdifficulties.Atthetimeofdistributingtheestate,successorswhohavemadethepredominantcontributionsinmaintainingthedecedentorhavelivedwiththedecedentmaybegivenalargershare.Atthetimeofdistributingtheestate,s

14、uccessorswhohadtheabilityandwereinapositiontomaintainthedecedentbutfailedtofulfiltheirdutiesshallbegivennoshareorasmallershareoftheestate.Successorsmaytakeunequalsharesifanagreementtothateffectisreachedamongthem.Anappropriateshareoftheestatemaybegiventoaperson,otherthanasuccessor,whodependedonthesup

15、portofthedecedentandwhoneithercanworknorhasasourceofincome,ortoaperson,otherthanasuccessor,whowaslargelyresponsibleforsupportingthedecedent.Questionspertainingtosuccessionshouldbedealtwiththroughconsultationbyandamongthesuccessorsinthespiritofmutualunderstandingandmutualaccommodation,aswellasofamity

16、andunity.Thetimeandmodeforpartitioningtheestateandthesharesshallbedecidedbythesuccessorsthroughconsultation.Ifnoagreementisreachedthroughconsultation,theymayapplytoaPeoplesMediationCommitteeformediationorinstitutelegalproceedingsinapeoplescourt.ChapterIIITestamentarySuccessionandLegacyArticle16Aciti

17、zenmay,bymeansofawillmadeinaccordancewiththeprovisionsofthisLaw,disposeofthepropertyheownsandmayappointatestamentaryexecutorforthepurpose.Acitizenmay,bymakingawill,designateoneormoreofthestatutorysuccessorstoinherithispersonalproperty.Acitizenmay,bymakingawill,donatehispersonalpropertytothestateorac

18、ollective,orbequeathittopersonsotherthanthestatutorysuccessors.Anotarialwillisonemadebyatestatorthroughanotaryagency.Atestator-writtenwillisonemadeinthetestatorsownhandwritingandsignedbyhim,specifyingthedateofitsmaking.Awillwrittenonbehalfofthetestatorshallbewitnessedbytwoormorewitnesses,ofwhomonewr

19、itesthewill,datesitandsignsitalongwiththeotherwitnessorwitnessesandwiththetestator.Awillmadeintheformofasound-recordingshallbewitnessedbytwoormorewitnesses.Atestatormay,inanemergencysituation,makeanuncupativewill,whichshallbewitnessedbytwoormorewitnesses.Whentheemergencysituationisoverandifthetestat

20、orisabletomakeawillinwritingorintheformofasound-recording,thenuncupativewillhehasmadeshallbeinvalidated.Noneofthefollowingpersonsshallactasawitnessofawill:personswithnocapacityorwithlimitedcapacity;successorsandlegatees;orpersonswhoseinterestsarerelatedtothoseofthesuccessorsandlegatees.Reservationof

21、anecessaryportionofanestateshallbemadeinawillforasuccessorwhoneithercanworknorhasasourceofincome.Atestatormayrevokeoralterawillhepreviouslymade.Whereseveralwillsthathavebeenmadeconflictwithoneanotherincontent,thelastoneshallprevail.Anotarialwillmaynotberevokedoralteredbyatestator-writtenwill,awillwr

22、ittenonbehalfofthetestator,awillintheformofasound-recordingoranuncupativewill.Wherethereareobligationsattachedtotestamentarysuccessionorlegacy,thesuccessororlegateeshallperformthem.Anyonewhofailstoperformtheobligationswithoutproperreasonsmay,uponrequestbyarelevantorganizationorindividual,entailnulli

23、ficationofhisrighttoinheritancebyapeoplescourt.Willsmadebypersonswithnocapacityorwithlimitedcapacityshallbevoid.Willsshallmanifestthegenuineintentionofthetestators;thosemadeunderduressorasaresultoffraudshallbevoid.Forgedwillsshallbevoid.Whereawillhasbeentamperedwith,theaffectedpartsofitshallbevoid.C

24、hapterIVDispositionoftheEstateArticle23Aftertheopeningofsuccession,asuccessorwhohasknowledgeofthedeathofthedecedentshouldpromptlynotifytheothersuccessorsandthetestamentaryexecutor.Ifnoneofthesuccessorsknowsaboutthedeathofthedecedent,orifthereisnowaytomakethenotification,theorganizationtowhichthedece

25、dentbelongedbeforehisdeathortheresidentscommitteeorvillagerscommitteeathisplaceofresidenceshallmakethenotification.Article24Anyonewhohasinhispossessionthepropertyofthedecedentshalltakegoodcareofsuchpropertyandnooneisallowedtomisappropriateitorcontendforit.Article25Asuccessorwho,aftertheopeningofsucc

26、ession,disclaimsinheritanceshouldmakeknownhisdecisionbeforethedispositionoftheestate.Intheabsenceofsuchanindication,heisdeemedtohaveacceptedtheinheritance.Alegateeshould,withintwomonthsfromthetimehelearnsofthelegacy,makeknownwhetherheacceptsitordisclaimsit.Intheabsenceofsuchanindicationwithinthespec

27、ifiedperiod,heisdeemedtohavedisclaimedthelegacy.Article26Ifadecedentsestateispartitioned,halfofthejointpropertyacquiredbythespousesinthecourseoftheirmatrimoniallifeshall,unlessotherwiseagreedupon,befirstallottedtothesurvivingspouseashisorherownproperty;theremaindershallconstitutethedecedentsestate.I

28、fthedecedentsestateisacomponentpartofthecommonpropertyofhisfamily,thatportionofthepropertybelongingtotheothermembersofthefamilyshallfirstbeseparatedatthetimeofthepartitioningofthedecedentsestate.Article27Underanyofthefollowingcircumstances,thepartoftheestateaffectedshallbedealtwithinaccordancewithst

29、atutarysuccession:whereinheritanceisdisclaimedbyatestamentarysuccessororthelegacyisdisclaimedbyalegatee;whereatestamentarysuccessorisdisinherited;whereatestamentarysuccessororlegateepredeceasesthetestator;whereaninvalidatedportionofthewillinvolvespartoftheestate;orwherenodispositionismadeunderthewil

30、lforpartoftheestate.Article28Atthetimeofthepartitioningoftheestate,reservationshallbemadefortheshareofanunbornchild.Thesharereservedshall,ifthebabyisstillborn,bedealtwithinaccordancewithstatutorysuccession.Article29Thepartitioningofadecedentsestateshallbeconductedinawaybeneficialtotherequirementsofp

31、roductionandlivelihood;itshallnotdiminishtheusefulnessoftheestate.Iftheestateisunsuitableforpartitioning,itmaybedisposedofbysuchmeansaspriceevaluation,appropriatecompensationorco-ownership.Article30Asurvivingspousewhore-marriesisentitledtodisposeofthepropertyheorshehasinherited,subjecttonointerferen

32、cebyanyotherperson.Article31Acitizenmayenterintoalegacy-supportagreementwithapersonwho,inaccordancewiththeagreement,assumesthedutytosupporttheformerinhisorherlifetimeandattendstohisorherintermentafterdeath,inreturnfortherighttolegacy.Acitizenmayenterintoalegacy-supportagreementwithanorganizationunde

33、rcollectiveownershipwhich,inaccordancewiththeagreement,assumesthedutytosupporttheformerinhisorherlifetimeandattendstohisorherintermentafterdeath,inreturnfortherighttolegacy.Article32Anestatewhichisleftwithneitherasuccessornoralegateeshallbelongtothestateor,wherethedecedentwasamemberofanorganizationu

34、ndercollectiveownershipbeforehisorherdeath,tosuchanorganization.Article33Thesuccessortoanestateshallpayalltaxesanddebtspayablebythedecedentaccordingtolaw,uptotheactualvalueofsuchestate,unlessthesuccessorpaysvoluntarilyinexcessofthelimit.Thesuccessorwhodisclaimsinheritanceassumesnoresponsibilityforth

35、epaymentoftaxesanddebtspayablebythedecedentaccordingtolaw.Article34Thecarryingoutofalegacyshallnotaffectthepaymentoftaxesanddebtspayablebythelegatoraccordingtolaw.ChapterVSupplementaryProvisionsArticle25Thepeoplescongressofanationalautonomousareamay,inaccordancewiththeprinciplesofthisLawandtheactualpracticesofthelocalnationalityornationalitieswithregardtopropertyinheritance,enactadaptiveorsupplementaryprovisions.Provisionsmadeb