法律原则的适用——基于方法论视角的分析

Legal Principles' Application——An Analysis in the View of Methodology

法律原则体现了法律制度的价值追求和精神品格。个案中法律原则如何适用取决于法律规则的具体情形:在有规则存在时,依靠原则防止规则的适用背离法律目的;在无规则存在时,适用原则填补漏洞。当原则与规则、原则与原则之间出现冲突时,裁判者需要对相互竞争的原则予以衡量。原则间的衡量必须遵循比例原则,而且裁判者应当进行充分的说理与论证。惟有符合比例原则的衡量才能称得上理性的衡量。

Legal principles reflect the values and spirits of law. How to apply principles depends on the concrete situation of rules in a particular case. When there is a rule in a particular case, the principle helps to keep a rule from being misused. If there isn＇t a rule, the judge can use a principle to supplement the gap in law. When a principle conflicts with a rule or another principle, the judge needs to balance the weight of every principle and chooses more important principle. The balancing should abide by the proportion rule. Moreover, the judge must justify the balancing. Only the balancing accords to the proportion rule, can it be rational.