转型抑或边缘:法治进程中的习惯法与国家法

To Transform or to Be Marginalized:Customary Law and National Law during the Process of Legalization

从近三十年的习惯和习惯法研究来看,研究成果虽较为丰硕,但无论是研究结论还是研究学科的定位,现实中的习惯法都让人颇感失落或尴尬。在市场经济乃至全球化的大背景下,习惯法的规则体系虽然尚存,在民众的纠纷处理程序中也仍有相当的影响力,但习惯法受到的冲击却前所未有。在具体的个案处理中,习惯法适用受经济利益的干扰或破坏,逐渐失去其本源的平等属性,在司法实践中较多地表现出冲突的一面。法治进程中的习惯法之前途,难免陷入要么转型适应国家法要么被边缘化的境地。在法治实践中,可以考虑通过变革适用、主动吸收、充分借鉴等方式,将习惯法与国家法进行有效衔接,让习惯法的合理因素在司法实践中顺畅应用,使司法裁决更易为民众所接受。

The achievements of research on custom and customary law have been fruitful for the past thirty years,but orientations and conclusions of customary law research in reality are either disappointing or embarrassing. Although customary law exists in the trend of market economy and globalization and exerts its influence on civil procedure,it has been unprecedentedly impacted. In every single case,customary law has lost its original equity due to the disturbance of economic interests,reflecting the conflicting feature in judicial practice more and more. During the process of legalization,customary law is either to adapt to national law or to be marginalized. In the practice of jurisdiction,it is suitable for customary law to take such measures as transformation and adaptation,positive assimilation or full reference in order to make effective engagement between customary law and national law. A smooth application of reasonable factors in customary law to juridical practice will make juridical verdict more acceptable to the public.