法律、民生与民间规则——兼论两岸交流制度中民间规则的作用

Law,Democracy and Folk Rules:the Role of Folk Rules in the Communication across the Taiwan Strait

法律是社会交往和社会需要的产物,因之,法律也是主体交往中日常生活的公共产品。它不仅作用于人们日常的物质生活,而且也作用于人们的精神生活。更重要的是,法律作为正式制度,还缔造着人们的制度生活。但法律的规定并不是完全自足的,一方面,需要关注作为非正式制度的民间规则的作用,另一方面,当法律规定有所遗漏,或者法律规定对公民的日常生活不能调整、规范时,民间规则对救济法律的不足,就可能会派上用场。甚至即使法律对相关社会关系有所规定,在实践中也免不了法律和民间规范相互交叠地发挥作用。基于这种认识,在两岸有关民生的交流中,应当把民间规则纳入保障两岸民生、促进两岸往来的重要社会因素中。

Law is held a product of social transactions and social demands. As such, it is a public product in daily life derived from people＇ s transactions. Law functions not only in people＇ s ordinary material life, but also in their spiritual life. More importantly, being a formal regime, law creates people＇ s system life. On the one hand, legal provisions should take into account folk rules that fall outside the ambit of formal system, on the other hand, folk rules apply where there are no statutory omissions or legal provisions fail to regulate citizens＇ daily life. Further, even if there exist statutory provisions to regulate relevant social relations, in practice, folk rules cannot avoid exercising overlapping functions with law, in view of which, . in the communication across the Taiwan Strait, folk rules should be considered as a vital element to ensure people＇ s livelihood and improve the communication between China's Mainland and the Taiwan district.