事实认定视野下的民间习惯规范

Folk Customs from the Perspective of Fact-finding

事实认定实际上是法官对历史事实的追问与重构。从广义上说,查明事实与确定法律概念的事实内容都属于事实认定的题中应有之义。然而,面对疑难案件或语境化的法律概念和法律规则,法官仅凭证据难以找到合理的答案。此时,民间习惯规范能够成为法官解决难题的主要依据。民间习惯规范可分为事实判断型和价值判断型两类。事实判断型习惯规范可以成为法官查明疑难案件事实的主要依据,甚至可以替代所要查明的事实。而事实判断型及价值判断型民间习惯规范均能够具体化语境化的法律概念和法律规则,从而让案件事实与法律规则合理对接。然而,不可否认的是,民间习惯规范在事实认定中的适用是有限度的。

Fact - finding is actually interrogations and reconstruction of historical facts by judges. In a broad sense, fact finding includes ascertaining the facts of cases and determining the factual contents of legal concepts. Facing legal concepts and rules in contextualized or difficult cases, however, judges find it difficult to have a reasonable answer only through the evidence. Then customary norms can be applied for answers. Customary norms can be divided into the fact judgment and value judgment. The former can be used by the judge to find out main facts in difficult cases, and can even substitute the facts that the judges must identify. Both can specify contextualized concepts and rules of law, leading to reasonable docking of case facts and legal rules. Without doubt, the application of folk custom is limited in finding facts.