赦宥早在我国上古时就已经实行,长期以来,赦宥仅作为权宜制度,发展到两宋时,则被定为常制。"三岁遇郊则赦",从而呈现出与往朝不同的特点,两宋之所以如此热衷赦宥,其主要原因是:统治者法律思想的转变;"内忧外患"的压力;士大夫的推动。赦宥在缓和两宋社会矛盾的同时,也带来了巨大的危害。

Remission, just a temporaiy policy, had already existed in ancient times of China. But this institution became a regular policy in Song Dynasty, "every three years one remission on suburb sacrifices". As a result, it took on different characteristics than the former dynasties. The changes of the rulers' lawful ideas, the pressure from internal trouble and foreign invasion and the push fiiom scholar-bureaucract were the main reasons for Song Dynasty's great interest in remission. The remission institution mitigated the social contradictions of Song Dynasty and caused great harm at the same time.