中国古代“礼情司法”模式及启示——以清代基层司法判牍为材料

Reflection on the Rite-Social Norm Judicature in the Qing Dynasty

通过对242个真实判例研究发现,清代基层司法官员不是依据法律、判例判决案件,而是依靠"礼(儒家伦理)、情(案情、常理)"来断案。这种"礼情司法"模式的形成并不是偶然的,它与传统文化、司法体制、社会结构、法官知识结构、民众素质有密切联系,这五大因素决定了当时的司法不可能过多引用律文法条判案。"礼情司法"模式有利于化解矛盾、实现国家解决纠纷的目标。

Through the study of 242 real cases, the author of this paper observes that the local judicial officials of the Qing Dynasty were not judging cases based on laws but on ＂rites＂ （Confucianism） and ＂social norms＂, which is not an accidental phenomenon but closely related to traditions, the judicial system, the social structure, the judge, and the literacy of the masses. These five elements had decided that the court verdicts of that time could not be too strictly legalized; instead, the ＂rite-social norm judicature＂ facilitates the ＂patch up＂ or compromise of conflicts.