论剩余怀疑——兼论美国死刑案件“留有余地的判决”

Residual Doubt in Capital Sentencing: Leeway Judgment in US Law

美国刑事司法因为采取了"排除合理怀疑"的刑事证明标准,必然会在这种"高度盖然性"和"绝对确定"的心证程度之间,形成所谓的"剩余怀疑"。虽然"剩余怀疑"并不影响定罪结论的做出,但却在量刑程序中作为减轻情节,起到了减少死刑判决的作用,形成美国式的"留有余地的判决"。由于死刑量刑程序二步式构造、定罪后救济、死囚等待等制度构造的不同,这一美国式"留有余地的判决方式"不但不会引起判决正当性的质疑,反而可以更好地实现死刑政策,平衡死刑案件的错判风险,对我国类似做法提供有益的制度启示。

Because American criminal justice has adopted beyond reasonable doubt as the standard of criminal proof,residual doubt exists between the high probability and absolute certainty.Although residual doubt would not result in the verdict of not guilty,it plays an important role as a mitigating factor in capital sentencing,which can reduce the quantity of death penalty,and result in the American-style leeway judgment.Due to the institutional construction differences of the two-steps structure in capital sentencing,relief after conviction,death row waiting,etc,the American-style leeway judgment will not cast doubt on the justifiability of verdict,but instead can better realize the death penalty policy and reduce the risk of wrongful verdict in capital cases.As such,it can provide some useful institutional inspirations for the improvement of similar practice in China.