陪审团一致裁决原则的功能

The Function of the Jury's Unanimous Verdict

陪审团一致裁决起源于英国,但英国一致裁决原则却在1 9 6 7年《刑事司法法》中被修改,这一法律规定:如果陪审团未能在两小时内达成一致裁决,可以是绝大多数人同意的裁决。美国联邦法院系统坚持要求陪审团达成一致裁决,但各州自主选择陪审团需要一致裁决。陪审团一致裁决具有协商民主功能、权利保护功能、发现真实功能、实现法治功能,但这些功能是否可以实现都遭遇了质疑。陪审团一致裁决原则的发展趋势是,大部分有陪审团的地区都放弃了一致裁决的要求,但美国联邦法院系统仍然坚持。这具有重要的象征意义,被称为司法正义中"上帝声音最可靠的显示"。我国可以借鉴美国的做法,无论是否有人民陪审员参加,对于死刑的判决与复核,都应当是一致裁决,如果不能作出一致裁决的,不能判处或者核准死刑。

The principle of jury’s unanimous verdict originated in Britain,but this rule was revised in the 1967 Criminal Justice Act,according to this principle:if the jury fails to reach a unanimous verdict within 2 hours,it can reach a rule that the vast majority of people can be agreed with.The US federal court system persisted that the rule of jury’s unanimous verdict but the states can choose to apply it if they needed.The principle of jury’s unanimous verdict has the functions of deliberative democracy,protecting people’s rights,discovering the truth and realizing the function of law,but whether these functions can be realized all suffered question.The trend of the rule of jury’s unanimous verdict is that most of the regions have abandoned it except the US federal court system.Because it has an important symbolic meaning which is called "the most reliable display of God’s voice"in judicial justice.China can learn from the practice of the United States,whether or not there are jurors to participate in the verdict and review of the death penalty should be a unanimous verdict,the one who should not be sentenced by the death penalty if jurors cannot reach a unanimous verdict.