纠缠于权力与权利之间——公开审判的中国实践

Entanglement Between Right and Power: Public Trial in China

公开审判既是被告人的权利,也是社会公众的权利,甚至包含国家的诸多权力利益。综合权衡之下,刑事审判应以公开为原则,不公开为例外。在具体操作中,则以比例原则为核心,注意公正审判、公众知情权、被告人负担、政府利益等多元诉求的平衡。以此观之,中国当下刑事审判实践中存在不公开范围界定不清、不当限制公开对象、公开程度被人为限制或过度公开等现实问题,有必要以公开审判的基本属性及比例原则为依据加以规范。

The right to a public trial belongs not only to the accused and the general public, but concerning multiple government interests as well. A careful balance requires that criminal trials be open to the public with applicably prescribed exceptions. The principle of proportionality shall prevail in practice, balancing multiple interests including the defendant＇ s burden and the right to a fair trial, the public＇ s right to information together with the government interests. Criminal trials in China sometimes are inappropriately restricted, either in terms of the constituents of audience or degree of openness, and sometimes are displayed to an excessive degree fur- thering extrajudicial purposes. Necessary regulatory actions shall be taken to bring the current practice back in accordance with the fundamental nature of public trial and the principle of proportionality.