[Historical Development] The subject of criminal law of Southwest University of Political Science and Law originated from the Department of Political Law of Southwest People's Revolutionary University established in 1952 and the Criminal Law Teaching and Research Office of Southwest Institute of Political Science and Law (one of the eight teaching and research offices directly under the University) established in 1953. It began to enroll Master's degree students of criminal law in 1979 (one of the earliest subjects to enroll Master's degree students of criminal law in P.R.China), and was identified as a Provincial Key subject in 1995. The subject of Criminal Law started offering the doctoral degree in 2000 and began to accept Postdoctoral researchers in 2004. Professor Cai Yanqiao, Professor Deng Youtian, Professor Zhao Nianfei, Professor Wu Liucun, Professor Dong Xin, Professor Zhao Changqing, Professor Chen Zhonglin, Professor Deng Dingyi, Professor Yang Xianguang, Professor Xia Zongsu, Professor Xuan Linquan, Professor Gao Shaoxian, Professor Li Peize, Professor Zhu Qichang, Professor Qiu Xinglong, Professor Zhang Shaoyan, Professor Zhu Jianhua, Professor Wang Lirong, etc. have made outstanding contributions to the construction and development of criminal law subject. After the University was reopened in 1977, Professor Deng Youtian, Professor Zhao Changqing, Professor Chen Zhonglin, Professor Liu Jianhong, Professor Mei Chuanqiang and Professor Shi Jinghai successively served as subject leaders .

[Faculty Members] The subject of criminal law has 36 full-time teachers, all with good education background, professional title and academic background structure. Among them, 34 have doctor's degree; 8 professors and 16 associate professors; 8 doctoral instructors and 22 master's instructors; 27 under the age of 50; graduated from Peking University, Renmin University of China, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Wuhan University, Jilin University, China University of Political Science and Law, Nanjing Normal University, Waseda University of Japan, and Welzburg University of Germany, etc. Professor Mei Chuanqiang is the Vice President of China Criminal Law Research Association, the second batch young and middle-aged eminent teacher of Chongqing, the academic and technical leader of Chongqing, and the Chongqing Model Teacher; Professor Yuan Lin is the Vice President of China Society of Criminology，the Councilor of Chongqing Municipal People's Government，the deputy to Chongqing Municipal People's Congress，and the member of Supervision and Justice Committee of Chongqing NPC Standing Committee; Professor Shi Jinghai is the chief expert of the 2020 Major Project of National Social Science Fund，the Standing Director of China Society of Criminal Law Research, the second batch top 10 young and middle-aged jurists of Chongqing, the national outstanding teacher of master of law, the fourth group of leading figures of philosophy and Social Sciences in Chongqing, and the academic and technological leader of Chongqing; Professor Chen Wei is the chief expert of the 2018 major project of philosophy and social sciences of the Ministry of Education, the first “Most Influential Young Scholars of Humanities and Social Sciences” in China, and the “Bayu scholars” in Chongqing, the eighth batch of young and middle-aged eminent teachers in Chongqing. The current doctoral instructors are Prof. Mei Chuanqiang, Prof. Shi Jinghai, Prof. Li Yongsheng, Prof. Yuan Lin, Prof. Chen Wei, Prof. Jiang Min，Prof. Ding Shengming, and Prof. Jia Jian , etc.

[Characteristic Research] The subject takes the lead in the governance of drug problem, criminal psychology, criminal law enforcement, sentencing and some aspects of localization of basic theory of criminal law and modernization of criminal law legislation.

(1) Research on drug problem governance. Represented by Prof. Zhao Changqing, Prof. Chen Zhonglin, Prof. Mei Chuanqiang, Prof. Liu Jianhong，Prof. Wang Lirong, Prof. Shi Jinghai, Prof. Yuan Lin, Prof. Chen Wei and Prof. Jiang Min has been devoted to the study of drug problem governance since the 1980s, based on the platform of “Drug-related Crime and Countermeasures Research Center of Southwest University of Political Science and Law” established in 1997 (became the first key research bases of humanities and social sciences of Chongqing in 2003) and “National Drug Problem Governance Research Center”jointly established with the National Drug Control Commission and the Supreme People's Court in 2017, it compiled and published “Drug Control Series” (edited by Zhao Changqing, etc. two volumes) in 1998 and the new“Drug Control Series”(edited by Prof. Liu Jianhong, six volumes in total) in 2014, approved a Major Project of National Social Science Fund “Research on Practical Dilemma and Model Innovation of National Drug Problem Governance”(Prof. Shi Jinghai as the chief expert, which is the only major project of National Social Science Fund on drug problem so far). In recent years, Prof. Mei Chuanqiang, Prof. Wang Lirong, Associate Professor Hu Jiang and many others published lots of works on drug control and criminal policy, drug control mode, judicial problems and so on, enriched the drug problem theoretical research and have made important theoretical contributions in the promotion of drug control .

(2) Research on criminal psychology. This is the traditional dominant subject direction, represented by Prof. Huang Yunheng, Prof. Luo Xiangyang, Prof. Mei Chuanqiang, Prof. Peng Jihong, Prof. Wang Min, etc.The Criminal Psychology Textbook, compiled by the research team of criminal psychology led by Prof. Mei Chuanqiang, is a national textbook of the 11th Five Year Plan (one of the two national textbooks) and the 12th five year plan (the only one in China), which won the third prize of the eighth Excellent Achievement Award of Social Science in Chongqing (2014); the first prize of Excellent Teaching Achievement of Southwest University of Political Science and Law (2019).

(3) Research on Criminal Enforcement Law. This is the traditional dominant subject direction, represented by Prof. Deng Youtian, Prof. Xia Zongsu (the first prison law professor in China), Prof. Yang Xianguang, Prof. Zhang Shaoyan, Prof. Wang Lirong, etc. long-term  commitment to promote the integration of enforcement of imprisonment sentence, the reasonable framework and operation of forced treatment of special groups, and the follow-up program of special confiscation system. The relevant scientific research achievements have won the first prize of scientific research achievements of the Ministry of Justice and the second prize of scientific research achievements of Chongqing.

(4) Research on sentencing. This characteristic subject direction is grown up accompanied by the national sentencing standardization and other sentencing reform. Represented by Prof. Zhu Jianhua, Prof. Wang Lirong, Prof. Shi Jinghai, Prof. Chen Wei with Tan Gan, Luo duo, Chen Rongfei , Zhen Hang and other young teachers, has been committed to the theoretical and practical research of sentencing for a long time, undertaken more than ten important research projects related to sentencing, such as the Key Project of National Social Science Fund “Research on Criminal Law Response to the Leniency System for Admitting Guilt and Accepting Punishment ” (2020, presided over by Prof. Shi Jinghai), and has made important contributions to enriching the theory of sentencing, improving the phenomenon of “heavy conviction but light sentencing”, promoting the scientific development of the standardized reform of sentencing and the reform of the leniency system for admitting guilt and accepting punishment. In 2013 and 2014, the Intermediate People's Court and the Supreme People's Court of Anshun City, Guizhou Province jointly organized the “Sentencing Research Center” established by the team to hold the national academic seminar on “problems and approaches to the standardized reform of sentencing” and the national seminar on “theory and practice of standardized sentencing”. The basic principles of sentencing individualization published by Prof. Shi Jinghai in 2010 has successively won the third prize of the third “Excellent Achievement Award of Chinese Law”, the third prize of the eighth social science excellent achievement award of Chongqing city and the first prize of the first “National Excellent Academic Work Award of Criminal Law (1984-2014)” of China Criminal Law Research Association, it has become a landmark achievement in the field of sentencing research, and republished by Law Press in 2021 as “The World·New Classics of Law”. Since 2012, the team has also offered courses of “Sentencing Law”, “Conviction and Sentencing Topics” and “Special Sentencing Topics”for undergraduates and postgraduates of law, thus taking the lead in transforming sentencing theory research into teaching in the country.

(5) Research on the localization of basic theory of criminal law. This is the inheritance and faith of the basic theory of criminal law in this subject. Represented by Prof. Chen Zhonglin, Zhu Jianhua, Li Yongsheng, Mei Chuanqiang, Shi Jinghai, Chen Wei, Jia Jian, Ding Shengming, Lu Youxue, Zhang Wuju, Chen Xiaobiao, Yao Wanqin, Chen Rongfei, adhere that the basic theory of criminal law should be based on the reality of the country, integrate into the governance of the country and solve the problems of the country. Prof. Chen Zhonglin has systematically and comprehensively reformed the traditional criminal law theory based on the localization of the basic theory of criminal law , made a unique interpretation of the basic categories of criminal law, such as the basic nature of criminal law, the adjustment object, the basic principle, the basic principle of criminal law interpretation, the nature and essential characteristics of crime, the theory of crime composition, the criminal form and the purpose of criminal law,  put forward the view of law education including the rule of humanity, the rule of conscience, the rule of common sense, common reason and common conscience, and it has exerted an important influence on theory and practice both at home and abroad.

(6) Research on the modernization of criminal law legislation. This is the major construction direction of this subject, represented by Prof. Chen Zhonglin, Prof. Zhu Jianhua, Prof. Li Yongsheng, Prof. Mei Chuanqiang, Prof. Shi Jinghai, Prof. Chen Wei, Prof. Jiang Min, Prof. Lu Youxue. During his tenure as a deputy to the 10th and 11th National People's Congress, Professor Chen Zhonglin submitted a number of motions and suggestions to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on the reform of the judicial system, reform of the reeducation through labor system, and the withdrawal of the death penalty approval power by the Supreme People's Court in accordance with the law, which were adopted by the country's highest legislature and judicial organs. Prof. Mei Chuanqiang presided over a Key Project of National Social Science Fund “Research on Criminal Law of Preventive Anti-Terrorism”, Prof. Shi Jinghai presided over a National Key Think-Tank Project (the National People's Congress) “Research on Measures to Improve the Restorative Treatment of Crimes”, Prof. Chen Wei presided over a Key Research Project of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education “Research on the Full Coverage of National Supervision”, Prof. Jiang Min presided over the Key Project of National Social Science Fund “Research on the Age system of Criminal Responsibility from a Global Perspective”, these made corresponding academic contributions to the theory and practice of promoting the modernization of criminal law legislation.

[Research Base] The subject now has “Drug-related Crime and Countermeasures Research Center” (established in 1997, the first batch of key research bases of Humanities and Social Sciences in Chongqing in 2003, and jointly established with the National Drug Control Commission and the Supreme People's Court in 2017 as “National Drug Problem Governance Research Center”), “Chongqing New Types of Crime Research Center” (established in 2020, municipal research center), “Sentencing Research Center” (established in 2011, school level research center), “Research Center for the Protection of the Rights of Special Groups and Crime Prevention” (established in 2013, school level research center), “Juvenile Law Research Center” (established in 2011, school level research center), “Financial Criminal Law Research Center” (established in 2015, school level research center), “Foreign and Comparative Criminal Law Research Center” (established in 2016, school level research center). These research bases have become an important platform to support the development of subject characteristics by gathering relevant research forces.

[Talent Training] The subject has always adhered to a rigorous and pragmatic style of study, to the concept of combining theory with practice, inherited and innovated the spirit of scholarship, and trained many well-known alumni. Vice President Li Shaoping of Supreme People’s Court, Vice Minister Xiong Xuanguo of Ministry of Justice, Former Vice President Hu Yunteng of Supreme People’s Court, Prof. Chen Zhonglin, Prof. Wu Dahua, Prof. Xiang Chaoyang, Prof. Qiu Xinglong, Prof. Wei Dong, Prof. Zeng Yuexing, Dean Wen Changzhi, etc. are all graduate students of Master's degree or Doctor's degree in this subject. In addition, Prof. Chen Zexian, Prof. Qi Wenyuan, Prof. Ruan Qilin, Prof. Sun Guoxiang and Prof. Feng Yadong are also well-known alumni of the school.

Currently, the subject of criminal law recruits more than 80 academic Master's degree students, more than 10 Doctoral degree students and more than 100 Master's degree students in criminal law practice every year. The Criminal Law Course is “Chongqing Excellent Course” (2004), “Chongqing Postgraduate Excellent Course” (2008), “Chongqing Excellent Resource-sharing Course” (2012), “Chongqing Excellent On-line Open Course” (2014); the Criminal Psychology Course is “Chongqing University On-line Open Course” (2019), “Chongqing On-line and Off-line Hybrid First-class Undergraduate Course” (2020); the Criminal Law (general) Course is “The First Batch of National (Off-line) First-Class Undergraduate Course” (2020) and “Chongqing University First-Class Course” (2021); the Criminal Law (topics)  Course is “Chongqing Undergraduate First-Class Course” (2022); the Criminology Course and the Criminal Law (general) Course are “Chongqing Postgraduate Excellent Course” (2013 and 2015); the criminal law teaching team earned the title of “Chongqing Excellent Teaching Team “ (2008), the “Practice-oriented Integrated Criminal Tutor Team” (2018) and “Criminal Law Talents Innovative Education Postgraduate Tutor Team” (2019) are municipal Postgraduate Tutor Teams in Chongqing.

In 2018, the subject began to explore and practice the teaching reform of “Pre-class, class, after-class” integrated seminar undergraduate course “General Theory of Criminal Law” and “Topics of Criminal Law”, which has achieved breakthrough innovation and remarkable results in curriculum ideology and politics, students as the main subject, teachers as the leading, process assessment, teaching interaction and other aspects, and it has won the titles of “ The First National (Off-line) First-Class Undergraduate Course”, “ Chongqing University First-Class Course”, “First-Class Off-line Undergraduate Course of Southwest University of Political Science and Law”, “Excellent Curriculum Reform Project of Southwest University of Political Science and Law”,  “Curriculum Ideological and Political Construction Demonstration Project of Southwest University of Political Science and Law”. In 2014, the academic graduate students of "three teachers in one class" seminar style, salon style teaching reform of “General Theory of Chinese Criminal Law” and “Topics of Chinese Criminal Law”, which began to explore and practice, has become the model of graduate teaching reform of Southwest University of Political Science and Law. At the national seminar of "Graduate Teaching Reform of Law" held in May 2019, they were highly praised by participants from Renmin University of China, China University of Political Science and Law, Nankai University Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Jinan University and East China University of Political Science and Law. The subject has established more than 90 corresponding teaching and scientific research practice bases in the national practice departments and hired more than 30 senior practical experts from the national judicial system as practice mentors to jointly create high-level legal talents with profound professional knowledge and practical ability.

Now, together with the subject of criminal procedure law, the subject is actively exploring the high-end practical application talents training mode of joint training with the No.1 Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing and the No.5 Chongqing Procuratorate for master of law students. Specifically, 30 freshmen who pass the National Judicial Examination are selected to practice in the court or procuratorate during the daytime of the first academic year (undertake systematic assistant work), return to school in the evening and weekend of working day to solve outstanding problems such as lack of practice time, conflict between practice and learning time, similarity of learning mode and undergraduate course during postgraduate period, disconnection of teaching theory and practice, lack of practical ability, and weak professional ethics.