Abstract
The Four-Element Theory is a fundamental framework in criminal law, defining
the constitution of crime through four dimensions: Subject, Object, Subjective
aspect, and Objective aspect. This theory is widely referenced in legal
reasoning, and many Large Language Models (LLMs) attempt to incorporate it when
handling legal tasks. However, current approaches rely on LLMs' internal
knowledge to incorporate this theory, often lacking completeness and
representativeness. To address this limitation, we introduce JUREX-4E, an
expert-annotated knowledge base covering 155 criminal charges. It is structured
through a progressive hierarchical annotation framework that prioritizes legal
source validity and employs diverse legal interpretation methods to ensure
comprehensiveness and authority. We evaluate JUREX-4E on the Similar Charge
Distinction task and apply it to Legal Case Retrieval, demonstrating its
effectiveness in improving LLM performance. Experimental results validate the
high quality of JUREX-4E and its substantial impact on downstream legal tasks,
underscoring its potential for advancing legal AI applications. Code:
https://github.com/THUlawtech/JUREX