“殊为具文”?——浅论《大清律例》中的“宣示性条款”

“Declarative clauses” in The Great Qing Code

《大清律例》中有一些条款,有许多属于不容易被执行但却始终存在的"宣示性条款",它们或者是因为时移世易失去了实用性,或者是因为自创立之初立法者即未指望其能严格适用。所以有论者往往以"流于具文"来批评这些条款,而主张对此加以改革。但终传统之世,许多具文仍得以保存在法典之中,这绝非用立法者罔顾社会现实就能解释清楚,其背后乃体现着更深层次的立法主旨。

Some clauses in The Great Qing Code are called the'declarative clauses'for their unexecutability in thatthey were out of date or lawmakers didn't even expect them to be executable. However,legislators' neglect of social reality cannot sufficiently explain the long existence of these clauses; instead,legislative considerationsshould be an important factor behind it.