刑事证人出庭率:一种基于实证研究的理论阐述

A Theoretical Clarification on Witness' s Presence in Criminal Trial

证人不出庭已成为控辩式刑事庭审方式改革的瓶颈之一。本文遵循解释学的理论路径,采用实证分析的方式对此问题展开研究。从证人出庭的实践标准角度,证人出庭率不高具有现实合理性。证人出庭的现实问题不是证人出庭率较低,而是争议案件没有证人出庭。从司法主体的角度,造成证人出庭率极低的重要因素并非源于证人,而是检察官的消极态度。隐藏于检察官消极态度背后的深层结构是书面审判模式的承继关系,而决定这一结构的基本因素包括固守实事求是的事实认定原则、司法一体化的内在需要和诉讼经济之考量。以证人出庭率极低的问题为治理目标,可以渐进式地推进两项局部性改革措施:确立附条件的口证原则,进一步简化无争议案件的处理程序。

It is a choke point in the reform of criminal trial that the witnesses seldom take stand. The essay makes a hermeneutic and empirical research on this issue. The essay argues that the high rate of stand taking is not practical and the real problem is not the low stand - taking rate generally but the non - stand - taking in the disputable cases, the reason for which is the negative attitude of the prosecutors. The root for this attitude is the remain of written trial mode due to the practical and realistic tradition of truth - seeking, the unification principle of the police , procuratorate and the court and the concern of the procedure efficiency. The possible solution to this problem is to adopt the limited principle of vocal proofing and simplify the procedure of indisputable cases.