条约解释的特点--同国内法解释的比较研究

Characteristics of Treaty Interpretation

本文对国际法上条约解释的特点及其成因进行了探讨。通过对条约同国内法解释在主体、效力、客体和方法四个方面的比较研究,作者认为,条约解释的主要特点包括:在主体和效力方面,条约的"有权"和"非有权"解释以"主体是否有权力解释"为标准划分,而不像国内法那样同时依据解释的权力和效力来划分;条约有权解释主体所做的解释不一定有法律拘束力。在客体方面,作为解释客体的条约具有"立法性"和"契约性"双重特性,这对条约解释产生了多方面的影响。在解释方法上,条约解释中除了运用国内法律解释常用的方法外,还出现了"嗣后实践"解释方法,并在实际中得到较为广泛的运用。从根本上看,条约解释上述特点的形成,是由国际法体系不同于国内法体系的性质所决定的。国际法的"分权"体制,决定了条约解释的上述特点。

By comparing the interpretation of treaty with that of domestic law from the perspectives of the subject, effect, objective, and method, the author concludes that treaty interpretation has the following characteristics ： firstly, in terms of the subject and effect, the question of whether an interpretation of a treaty is authoritative should be answered according to whether the subject has the authority to interpret the treaty, rather than according to the authority and the effect of interpretation as provided in domestic law. An authoritative interpretation of a treaty is not necessarily binding; secondly, in terms of the object, a treaty,being the object of interpretation, has both ＂legislative＂ and ＂contractual＂ natures and this dual nature has a significant influence on treaty interpretation. And thirdly,in terms of method of interpretation ＂the subsequent practice＂ has been used to interpret treaties as a unique approach. All of above characteristics are determined by the nature of international law, which is different from that of domestic law.