1982 Constitution

The Constitution of the People's Republic of China (1982), or the 1982 Constitution, is the fourth constitution of the People's Republic of China, adopted and enacted by the Fifth National People's Congress at its fifth session on December 4, 1982. It is based on the 1954 Constitution. Outdated provisions in the 1978 Constitution were replaced or changed. New provisions were added to reflect the imperative for reform and opening up and socialist modernization.

The 1982 Constitution restores the original wording "the people's democratic dictatorship" to replace "the dictatorship of the proletariat" as the form of government for China. Intellectuals are now included along with workers and farmers as the three major social forces. It provides for the reestablishment of the post of the President, election of the Chairman of the Central Military Commission by the National People's Congress, and the overall responsibility of the Premier over the functions of the State Council. Life-long positions are abolished and term limits instituted on the state leadership, including the National People's Congress and the State Council, so that top officials cannot serve more than two terms. The inviolable human dignity of citizens is acknowledged in a new provision, as is private ownership along with state ownership and collective ownership as indispensable components of the economy. The need to protect legitimate rights and interests of private businesses is affirmed.

The unveiling of the 1982 Constitution paved the way and provided a framework for improving our legal system in an era of reform. It committed us to enhancing the rule of law and protecting human rights, and was of great significance for building a socialist legal system with Chinese characteristics.

In the ensuing three decades, the constitution has been revised five times in response to new realities, in 1988, 1993, 1999, 2004 and 2018. The latest amendment was adopted by the 13th National People's Congress in 2018. This new amendment represents a solid step forward in promoting the rule of law in a new era. It responds to the needs of our cause and the wishes of the people, and enhances the role of the constitution in developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.

八二憲法

《中華人民共和國(guó)憲法》（1982年），簡(jiǎn)稱(chēng)“八二憲法”，是中華人民共和國(guó)的第四部憲法，由中華人民共和國(guó)第五屆全國(guó)人民代表大會(huì)第五次會(huì)議1982年12月4日正式通過(guò)并頒布。這部憲法以1954年憲法為基礎(chǔ)，糾正1978年憲法中存在的缺點(diǎn)，增加了適應(yīng)改革開(kāi)放和社會(huì)主義現(xiàn)代化建設(shè)的新規(guī)定。

八二憲法主要內(nèi)容包括：將國(guó)家性質(zhì)由“無(wú)產(chǎn)階級(jí)專(zhuān)政”恢復(fù)為“人民民主專(zhuān)政”；將知識(shí)分子與工人、農(nóng)民并列為三支基本的社會(huì)力量；恢復(fù)設(shè)立國(guó)家主席；中央軍委主席改由全國(guó)人大選舉；國(guó)務(wù)院實(shí)行總理負(fù)責(zé)制；規(guī)定國(guó)家、全國(guó)人大、國(guó)務(wù)院領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人連續(xù)任職不得超過(guò)兩屆，取消了領(lǐng)導(dǎo)職務(wù)的終身制；新增“公民的人格尊嚴(yán)不受侵犯”的條文；承認(rèn)國(guó)營(yíng)、集體、個(gè)體三種經(jīng)濟(jì)都不可缺少,申明國(guó)家保護(hù)個(gè)體經(jīng)濟(jì)的合法權(quán)益等。

“八二憲法”正式開(kāi)啟改革時(shí)代法制建設(shè)的大幕，設(shè)定法制建設(shè)的合法性基礎(chǔ)和邊界，承諾對(duì)法治國(guó)家與人權(quán)保護(hù)的追求?！鞍硕椃ā钡膶?shí)行，對(duì)建設(shè)中國(guó)特色社會(huì)主義法律體系和制度體系具有十分重要的意義。

根據(jù)社會(huì)發(fā)展的需要，在此后的30多年時(shí)間里，“八二憲法”歷經(jīng)1988年、1993年、1999年、2004年、2018年五次修訂。最新一次修訂是2018年第十三屆全國(guó)人大通過(guò)第五次修憲修正案。此次憲法修改是新時(shí)代推進(jìn)全面依法治國(guó)的堅(jiān)實(shí)一步，符合事業(yè)發(fā)展需要，順應(yīng)人民意愿，有助于更好發(fā)揮憲法在新時(shí)代堅(jiān)持和發(fā)展中國(guó)特色社會(huì)主義中的重大作用。