중국공산당 중앙은 1955년부터 반혁명분자들을 숙청하게 되는데, 이 중에서 형벌로 처리할 수 없는 자들은 ‘노동교양’ 에 처하였다. 1957년 국무원은 행정법규 형식으로 노동교양제도의 법적 근거를 마련하였다. 문화대혁명 기간 동안, 노동교양제도는 폐지되었다가 1979년 <노동교양에 관한 보충규정>으로 부활되었다. 노동교양 대상범위는 확대되었고, 그 실시대상 지역도 대·중도시에서 현 및 농촌지역까지 확장되었다. 중국 공안부는 1982년 <노동교양 시행판법>을 반포하여, ‘교육, 감화, 구제’를 노동교양의 방침으로 삼는 등 구체적인 규정들을 두었다. 그럼에도 현행 노동교양제도는 여전히 몇몇 문제점들이 존재한다. 중국 <헌법>에 의하면 일체의 법률·행정법규와 지방성법규는 헌법에 저촉되어서는 안된다고 하였지만 <입법법>, <행정처벌법>등과 충돌된다. 중국이 가입한 <인 권과 정치권리에 관한 국제협약(ICCPR)>에도 위배된다. 중국형벌인 관제형이 3개월 이상 2년이하, 구역형이 1개월이상 6개월이하인데 비해, 노동교양은 1년 이상 최고 4년까지 처할 수 있기 때문에 그 징벌성이 형벌보다 높다. 절차에 있어서도 공안기관이 증거수집이 어렵거나 하면 노동교양을 처분하는 등 권한남용이 심한 편이다. 노동교양제도의 근거를 ‘법률’형식으로 해야하며, 궁극적으로는 이 제도를 폐지해야 중국이 지향하는 법치국가가 될 수 있을 것이다.

The Chinese Communist Party have purged the anti-revolutionists since 1955 and have imposed the re-education through labor (or "Laojiao") on those who could not be subject to criminal punishment. In 1957, the State Council laid a legal foundation for the Laojiao system in the form of administrative regulation. During the cultural revolution, the Laojiao system has once been abolished but later has been revived by the Supplementary Rules on the Re-education Through Labor in 1979. The scope of Laojiao has been expanded, and the target areas have also been extended from large- and medium-sized cities to prefecture and rural areas. In 1982, China's Ministry of Public Security issued the Trial Methods for Implementation of Re-education Through Labor, setting forth specific provisions by, for example, specifying "education, influence, and remedy" as a policy for Laojiao. Still, the current Laojiao system has a number of problems to be solved. According to the China's Constitution, any laws, administrative regulations, and local regulations should not be in conflict with the Constitution. Laojiao, however, is clearly in violation of the Constitution. Moreover, Laojiao also violates the International Convention on Human Rights and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which China is a member state. Certain laws such as Legislation Law and the Administrative Punishment Law provide that the rules depriving or restricting personal freedom of a citizen shall be stipulated by 'law.' Laojiao, however, is not based on a law but based on an administrative regulation. Under the Chinese criminal punishment system, public surveillance punishment can be imposed for three months or more up to two years, while detention punishment can be imposed for one month or more up to six months. In contrast, Laojiao can be imposed for one year or more up to four years, thereby having greater punitiveness than criminal punishment. In addition, from the procedural perspective, the public security agencies often abuse their authorities by, for instance, imposing Laojiao in case such agencies face difficulties in collecting the relevant evidence. In conclusion, the legal basis for Laojiao system should be replaced in the form of 'law' as soon as practically possible, and such system should ultimately be abolished in order to help China become a country truly governed by law.

[국문초록]
  Ⅰ. 노동교양의 시대적 배경
  Ⅱ. 노동교양제도의 변천
  Ⅲ. 현존하는 문제
  Ⅳ. 검토 의견
  참고문헌
  Abstract

• 한상돈(아주대 법학전문대학원 교수) | Han, Sang-Don (Prof. Ajou University School of Law)