德国独任法官制度改革与启示

The Reform of German Sole-Judge System and Its Enlightenment

为了促进诉讼程序,高效审理案件,德国《民事诉讼法》设立了独任准备法官制度为充实审理服务。由于和证据调查中的直接主义背道而驰,独任准备裁判的法官权限随之扩大,摇身一变为独任审判型法官。由于是否独任审判取决于合议庭的裁量,限制了独任审判制度的适用范围。面对诉讼案件激增,基本型独任审判法官应运而生以缓解法院日益不堪的审判重负。相较德国全方位扩大独任法官审理而言,我国独任审判制度适用范围狭窄,未能担纲审判第一线的重任,扩大独任审判的适用范围并将案件独任化乃是缓解审判负担、迅速解决纠纷的必由之路。

In order to facilitate the judicial proceedings, and improve the efficiency of hearing a case, the Civil Procedure Code of Germany set up the sole-judge of prepared procedure system to improve the trial service. Because this system is opposite to the principle of direct trial in evidence investigation, accordingly, the privilege of the sole-judge of the prepared procedure has been expanded as well, and transformed into sole- judge. Whether it is sole-judge or not depends on the discretion of the collegiate bench, which limited the scope of applying the sole-judge system. With the rapid growing of the court cases, fundamental sole-judge has emerged to relieve the burden of the court. Sole-judge trial has been widely applied in Germany. Comparatively speaking, the application of this system is limited in China, and fails to shoulder its responsibility. Enlarge the scope of applying this system is the inevitable route to relieve the burden of the court and solve the dispute efficiently.