我国死刑制度改革的路径依赖特性及对策

The Path-Dependence of the Reform of China's Death Penalty System and the Countermeasures

中国死刑制度改革的最大难题莫过于“保留”还是“废除”死刑,在当前“保留死刑而限制死刑”的制度模式下,仍存在着死刑的使用随意、适用面比较宽、结构不合理等问题。上述问题存在的根源在于路径依赖,这种依赖主要包括完全工具主义改革路线、政府指导的自上而下的死刑改革体制和缺乏废除死刑的历史文化传统等。路径依赖已经成为我国死刑制度改革中的主要障碍,必须采用相应对策,消除我国深化死刑改革和文明刑罚发展的路径羁绊。

The hardest nut to crack in the reformation of China＇s death penalty system is to retain or eliminate death penalty. In the current system of ＂keeping but restricting death penalty＂, such problems as abusing the system, over-imposing death penalty and unbalanced structure of death penalty still exist. All these problems are attributed to path-dependence, including an instrumentalist reform policy, a reform initiated from above by the Government and the default of a tradition, history and culture favoring the abolishing of death penalty. Path-dependence has turned out the main barrier for China＇ s reform of death penalty system and corresponding countermeasures must be taken to overcome the barrier to deepen China＇ s reform of death penalty system and call for more civilized penalty system.