中国重视保障特殊群体的权益，制定了残疾人保障法、未成年人保护法、妇女权益保障法、老年人权益保障法、预防未成年人犯罪法等法律，在保护特殊群体权益方面形成了较为完备的法律制度，对于保护特殊群体合法权益，维护社会公平正义，发挥了重要作用。

    刑法。刑法是规定犯罪与刑罚的法律规范。它通过规范国家的刑罚权，惩罚犯罪，保护人民，维护社会秩序和公共安全，保障国家安全。截至2011年8月底，中国已制定一部统一的刑法、8个刑法修正案以及关于惩治骗购外汇、逃汇和非法买卖外汇犯罪的决定，并通过了9个有关刑法规定的法律解释。

    中国刑法确立了罪刑法定、法律面前人人平等、罪刑相适应等基本原则。中国刑法明确规定：法律明文规定为犯罪行为的，依照法律定罪处刑；法律没有明文规定为犯罪行为的，不得定罪处刑；对任何人犯罪，在适用法律上一律平等。不允许任何人有超越法律的特权；刑罚的轻重，应当与犯罪分子所犯罪行和承担的刑事责任相适应。中国刑法规定了犯罪的概念；规定了刑罚的种类，包括管制、拘役、有期徒刑、无期徒刑、死刑五种主刑以及罚金、剥夺政治权利、没收财产三种附加刑，并对刑罚的具体运用作出了规定；规定了危害国家安全罪，危害公共安全罪，破坏社会主义市场经济秩序罪，侵犯公民人身权利、民主权利罪，侵犯财产罪，妨害社会管理秩序罪，危害国防利益罪，贪污贿赂罪，渎职罪，军人违反职责罪等十类犯罪行为及其刑事责任。

China pays great attention to the protection of the rights and interests of special groups. It has enacted the Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons, Law on the Protection of Minors, Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women, Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, and Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency. It has developed a comparatively complete legal system to protect the rights and interests of special groups, which plays an important role in protecting the legitimate rights and interests of special groups, and in safeguarding social equity and justice.

Criminal Law. This is the law that defines crimes and penalties. It aims to punish crime and protect the people, maintain social order and public security, and safeguard national security through regulating the state's power of punishment. By the end of August 2011 China had enacted the Criminal Law and eight amendments to it, as well as decisions on punishing fraudulent purchase of foreign exchange, evading foreign exchange control, and illegal trade in foreign exchange, plus nine legal interpretations on the Criminal Law.

The Criminal Law defines clearly these basic principles: punishment of crimes is defined by law, everyone is equal before the law, and punishment should match the severity of the crime. It expressly stipulates that any act deemed by explicit stipulations of the law as a crime is to be convicted and given punishment by law, and that any act that is not deemed a crime by the explicit stipulations of the law is not to be convicted or given punishment. The law shall be equally applied to anyone who commits a crime. No one shall have the privilege of transcending the law. The degree of punishment shall be commensurate with the crime committed and the criminal responsibility to be borne by the offender. The Criminal Law of China defines various types of crime and types of punishment, including public surveillance, criminal detention, fixed-term imprisonment, life imprisonment and the death penalty. It also includes three accessory penalties - fine, deprivation of political rights and confiscation of property. In addition, it states the concrete application of punishments. It identifies ten criminal acts and corresponding criminal liability, namely the crimes of endangering national security, endangering public security, undermining the order of the socialist market economy, infringing upon the rights of the person and the democratic rights of citizens, encroaching on property, disrupting the order of social administration, endangering the interests of national defense, embezzlement and bribery, dereliction of duty, and servicemen's transgression of duties.