Filial Piety vs. Legal Obligation

Highlights the profound tension between the Confucian virtue of filial piety and the legal duty to report a crime, a recurring dilemma in imperial Chinese law.

Case of Jing Ci Testifying Against His Mother
  1. Case of Jing Ci Testifying Against His Mother
  2. Jurisdiction: Northern Wei Dynasty, China (508 CE (Yongping era, Northern Wei Dynasty))
  3. Original Case: 景慈证母案
  4. PlaintiffsJing CiJudgesLi PingCui ZuanInstitutionsTingwei (Ministry of Justice) of Northern Wei
  5. Case Tags: Kin Concealment Principle;Filial Piety vs. Legal Obligation;Confucianization of Law;Witness Competency and Kinship