Deng Xi

Deng Xi was a Chinese philosopher and rhetorician associated with the School of Names. Once a senior official of the Zheng state, and a contemporary of Confucius, he is regarded as China's earliest recorded lawyer, known for his clever use of words and language in lawsuits. The Zuo Zhuan and Annals of Lü Buwei critically credit Deng with the authorship of a penal code, the earliest known statute in Chinese criminology entitled the "Bamboo Law". This was developed to take the place of the harsh, more Confucian criminal code developed by the Zheng statesman Zichan.