早期罗马法中的形式主义

Formalism in Early Roman Law

形式主义是早期罗马法的重要特征之一。形式主义反映了罗马法在内容与形式上的相互限制与融合,它标志着早期罗马法的行为主义模式。在市民社会中,法律形式主义的作用在于约束当事人的行为。但是,当僵化、封闭的法律形式对日益活跃的法律内容的发展构成障碍时,形式主义的弊端就日趋明显。因而尊重当事人的意志,减轻形式主义的束缚就成为必然,并且随着国家公权的强大及其对私人纠纷干预的加强,罗马法律形式主义的衰退也就在所难免了。

Formalism was one of the important characteristics of early Roman law. It reflected the restriction and amalgamation of the content and form of early Roman law, and indicated its behaviorism. In citizen community, legal formalism could restrict the act of party, but when the inflexible and close legal forms blocked the development of legal content which were full of activity increasingly, the disadvantages of formalism would become clear day by day, so it would be necessary to respect the will of party and reduce the tie of formalism. As the public right of country became stronger and the government intervened more and more private disputes, the decline of formalism of early Roman law would be unavoidable.