作为证据的族谱——兼谈私文书的实质证明力

As the Evidence of Genealogy and the Substantial——Effectiveness of private documents

族谱是民国时期坟山案件中最常见的证据。在湖南,涉及族谱的坟山民事案件可分为争夺所有权和违反族约两类。在第一类案件的审理中,除了族谱,法官还会结合买卖契约等其他证据做出裁判;在第二类案件中,族谱单独使用也具有较高的证明力。这种根据案件类型区分族谱证明力的做法值得注意。尤其是一直以来,我国对私文书实质证明力的认定主要依靠法官的自由心证,其结果是容易导致司法权的滥用,虽然难以从规范层面进行限制,但在司法实践中有必要对私文书的制作主体、提供主体和制作时间等因素加以重视。

Genealogy is the most common evidence in ancestral grave cases in the Republic of China. The civil cases of ancestral grave can be divided into two types in Hunan,competition for ownership and violation of family conventions. Sale contracts and other evidences would be used besides genealogy in the first type cases. In the second type,genealogy have a high effectiveness. The distinction of genealogy ＇ s effectiveness is based on the type of cases, which worth our attentions. The identifying substantial effectiveness of private documents always rely on the judge＇ s discretion in China,which easily cause the abuse of judicial power. Although it is difficult to restrict the abuse by law, however, the factors below deserve our attentions in judicial practice,the maker,the provider and the time of private documents.