清光緒三十二年(1906),清政府“仿行憲政” ,參照日本的司法制度，改革中央官制，將刑部改為法部，專任司法； 大理寺改為大理院，專掌審判，實行政審分離； 并設總監(jiān)察廳，為全國最高檢察機關。地方由直隸先行試辦，袁世凱便擇定先在天津府、天津縣試辦，令天津知府凌福彭負責辦理。
凌福彭一面制定審判章程，一面籌辦審判廳。光緒三十二年(1906)十月，《天津府屬試辦審判廳章程》擬成，并刊登在是年十一月出版的《北洋法政學報》第10期。章程共分四編146條，為當時全國第一個地方性試辦審判廳法規(guī)。
光緒三十三年(1907)二月十日，成立了天津府高等審判分廳、天津縣地方審判廳，并舉行了開廳典禮。兩廳廳長分別由知府和知縣兼任。在天津城鄉(xiāng)分設了鄉(xiāng)讞局4處： 楊柳青、趙家場、咸水沽、永豐屯，并同時開局。天津民間刑事案件，開始由審判廳審理。兩個審判廳設在一處，廳址開始設在城內(nèi)水月庵； 后在南馬路天津縣署之西； 此后，因為辦公房不敷使用，又在李公祠旁勘建新廳，是年十一月，遷至新廳。
兩廳合設檢事局(即檢察局),高等審判分廳之內(nèi)，設檢事長、檢事官(即檢察官)、書記官及書記生、檢驗吏； 地方審判廳之內(nèi)，設檢事官、書記官、書記生、檢驗吏； 鄉(xiāng)讞局之內(nèi)設檢事官、書記官。這是天津地方檢察機構(gòu)的正式設立，在全國也是最早的檢察機關。
同時，撤銷原有府、縣舊司法發(fā)審人員。凡是審判廳的民事、刑事部長及審判官、檢事長、檢事官，都要報經(jīng)總督袁世凱簽署委任； 書記人員，一律由天津知府兼天津府高等審判廳廳長凌福彭委派。
同時，還將舊時差役改造為司法巡警，負責暗查、搜查、逮捕、押解人犯和巡守任務等。司法警察的設立，天津在全國也是最早之舉。
在封建統(tǒng)治長達數(shù)千年的情況下，搞一點試驗改革，遠不能實現(xiàn)法治，何況又徒具形式。改革后，司法裁判，仍權出多門。審判廳以外，各級官府公堂仍然裁判民刑訴訟，司法并不能獨立，其改革仍舊囿于封建統(tǒng)治之內(nèi)。
即使如此，從具體內(nèi)容上來看，由于訴訟費和承發(fā)吏規(guī)費有了限制，打官司的費用減少了許多； 并且派人到日本考察后，制定了監(jiān)獄制度，改善了犯人的生活條件，使罪犯有學習工業(yè)、技藝的機會。
從司法改革來看，這種地方司法機構(gòu)的分立，畢竟是全國的首創(chuàng)，天津也成為全國司法改良的試驗地。因此，全國各府、縣來天津參觀學習者甚眾。

·1928年2月天津地方法院法庭及辦公廳

In 1906 (the 32nd year of Emperor Guangxu),theQing government carried out Constitutional Monarchy.Taking the Japanese Judicial system for the reference,it reformed its central official system. It restructuredDepartment of Justice to the Board of Jurisdiction,responsible solely for judicial matters. Bureau of Dali(the Court of Judicial Review) was changed into DaliCourt,responsible for trial. In this way,it separatedadministrative power from legislative power. It alsoset up Supreme Procuratorate which was the highestprocuratorial organ. Among those local governments,this new legal system was tried out first in Zhili. YuanShikai then tried it out first in Tianjin County and thePrefecture of Tianjin. He ordered the Tianjin prefectLing Fupeng to be responsible for the trying out of thenew system.
Ling Fupeng drafted trial rules and prepared for thebuilding of court at the same time. In October 1906,theRules and Regulations of Tianjin Pilot Court was drawnout and published in the 10th issue of Beiyang Politicaland Legal Journal of November. It had 4 chapters and146 items,which was the laws and regulations of thefirst local court.
On February 10,1907,the Highest Court of Tianjinand the Local Court of Tianjin County held the openingceremony. The heads of the two courts were the mayorand the magistrate respectively.Four township courtswere open at Yangliuqing,Zhaojiachang,Xianshuigu,and Yongfengtun. Civil cases were heard by the HighestCourt of Tianjin and the Local Court of Tianjin County.The offices of the two courts were in Shuiyue Temple inthe city,and then moved to the west of Tianjin CountyYamen at Nanmalu. Later,because the offices were notsufficient,they moved to new offices built near Ligongciin November.
A Procuratorate was set up for the two courts.There were chief procurator,procurators,chief clerk,clerks,and examiners in the highest court. There wereprocurators,chief clerk,clerks,and examiners inthe county court. In the township courts,there wereprocurators and clerks. This was the first procuratoratesystem in China.
Meanwhile,the previous trial positions werecancelled. The chief judge of civil cases,the chief judgeof criminal cases,the chief judge,the chief procuratorand the chief examiner were appointed by Yuan Shikai.The clerks were appointed by Ling Fupeng.
The bailiffs were reformed to judicial policemenresponsible for investigation,arrest,escorting criminals,and patrolling. The set up of policemen was for the firsttime in China.
However,this reform in such a feudal sociely likeChina was far from the implementation of the rule oflaw. After the reform,there was still no independentjudiciary. Besides the court,the Yamen of differentlevels heard civil cases as before.
As to the achievements,the cost of legal cases wasreduced because of the restriction of legal cost and thepayment for the officials. After the inspection in Japan,prison system was set up,which improved the prisoners`living standards and provided them with opportunitiesto study skills. From the perspective of judicial reform,the set-up of local judicial institutions was for the firsttime in China. Tianjin became the experiment field ofnational judiciary reform,which attracted many peoplearound China to visit and learn from Tianjin.