技术与法律双重视野下的电子证据搜查扣押——以“肉食者”系统引发的争议为例

A Study on the Search and Seizure of Electronic Evidence From the Technical and Legal Perspective——the Case Study of "Carnivore"

相对于传统的物证、书证而言,电子证据是一种纯粹的技术产物。对电子证据的搜查、扣押离不开计算机技术的支持。"肉食者"系统在美国所引起的争论,在某种程度上可以认为是计算机技术发展与法律规范之间的一种冲突,而"肉食者"系统的开发本身即是计算机技术在法律规范约束之下的结果。基于计算机技术的发展规律与法律稳定性的考虑,对电子证据的搜查、扣押可以采取法律规范与技术规范双重约束的模式,即通过法律规范约束来保证搜查、扣押的合法性,通过技术规范的约束可以保证搜查、扣押所得电子证据的客观性。

Contrary to traditional material evidence and documentary evidence, electronic evidence is a product of pure technology. Search and seizure of electronic evidence cannot be accomplished without the support of computer technology. To some extent the dispute caused by ＂Carnivore＂ can be considered as a kind of conflict between the development of computer technology and traditional legal norm, while on the other hand the development of ＂Carnivore＂ itself is the result of computer technology′s development under the rule of law. Considering the development rule of computer technology and the stability of legal norm, search and seizure of electronic evidence is controlled under two standards, that is, the legal norm can safeguard the legitimacy of the collection of the evidence, and the technical norm can safeguard the objectivity of electronic evidence obtained from search and seizure.