日本近年民事取证制度改革述评

On the Recent Reformation of Civil Evidence-collecting System in Japan

日本民事取证制度一直以来都以文书提出命令制度为主导,但当事人照会制度在新民事诉讼法中的增设,打破了大陆法系国家民事取证制度中法院参与的惯常做法,受到了日本学界与实务界的普遍肯定。在近年对民事诉讼法所进行的若干次修改中,日本立法机关又对当事人照会制度以及先前的文书提出命令制度等进行了改革与完善,逐渐形成了独具日本特色的民事取证制度体系。就长远来看,日本在民事取证领域仍将继续保持法官职权进行主义的取证模式,但其中会呈现出愈益浓厚的当事人主义色彩。

The Japanese civil evidence-collecting system has been dominated by instruments proposed command system.The addition of parties note system in the new code of civil procedure breaks the usual practice of the court＇s participation in civil law countries＇ evidence-collecting system.This approach has been affirmed by Japanese academics and practitioners.In recent changes to the civil procedure law,the legislature made reformation and improvement on parties note system and previous instruments proposed command system,gradually formed a unique characteristic of Japan＇s institutional system of civil evidence-collecting.In the long run,Japan will continue to maintain the judge authority doctrine in the field of civil evidence,but it will show increasingly strong adversary color.