Towards autonomy of China’s legal terminology system: a corpus-based analysis of terminological variation in criminal procedure legislation

Abstract The autonomy of the legal terminology system is a key aspect of China’s legal modernization. The evolution of legal terminology not only reflects linguistic adjustments but also embodies the dynamic interaction between the legal system and societal development. This study adopts a corpus-based approach to explore the construction of an autonomous legal terminology system using texts from China’s criminal procedure legislation. Through both quantitative and qualitative analyses of legislative texts from different historical periods, the study identifies patterns of terminological variation and the underlying influencing factors. The findings suggest that changes in legal terminology are closely tied to developments within the legal system and are significantly shaped by external factors such as political, cultural, economic, social, and technological changes. This study argues that achieving autonomy in China’s legal terminology system requires balancing the preservation of traditional legal culture with the need for terminological innovation to support the rule of law. Strengthening the autonomy of China’s legal terminology system will contribute to domestic legal reforms and enhance China’s presence in global legal discourse.