法制 fǎzhì legal system and institutions
legal system and institutions; made in France
How to remember 法制: 法 law + 制 system = legal system and institutions.
Characters
How it is used
- Means the legal system as an institutional apparatus - 健全法制 (jiànquán fǎzhì) to perfect the legal system.
- Homophone with 法治 (fǎzhì, rule of law): 法制 is the machinery/structure (laws, courts), while 法治 is the principle of governing by law.
- A classic distinction in Chinese political/legal writing - 有法制 doesn't guarantee 法治.