中国古代判词与当代刑事判决书对比研究

Comparative Study on Ancient Judgments and Modern Criminal Judgments in China

中国古代判词作为古代司法官员听讼断狱所制作的司法文书,反映着中国历史上的礼法文化传统。当下中国的刑事判决书改革,不仅需要借鉴国外的先进庭审制度和制判模式,而且需要从我国的本土断案决狱文化中汲取营养,把我国优秀的传统法律文化发扬光大,从而更好地推动司法改革的发展。本文首先对中国古代判词进行分类,继而从古代判词的文学性特征、道德化倾向、天理、人情和法意的兼顾、文本结构和用词的感情色彩等角度探讨了古代判词与现代刑事判决书的差异,并揭示了其对当今刑事判决书改革的启示。古代判词的这些特征不仅有利于实现古代社会的司法目的,对于中国当下的司法改革,尤其是刑事判决书改革也具有现实的参考价值。

As a judicial document made by the judicial officials in ancient China,the ancient judgment reflects the etiquette culture (i.e.,li and fa) tradition in Chinese history. At present,the reform of criminal judgment in China needs not only to learn from foreign advanced trial system and models of judgments,but also to draw nutrition from the local cultures of case settlement in China,and carry forward the excellent traditional legal culture of China,so as to promote the development of judicial reform.This article first discusses the different classified patterns of ancient Chinese judgments,and then analyses the differences between ancient judgments and modern criminal judgments from the perspectives of the literary features of the ancient judgments, the moral orientation, compatibility of heavenly principles,human and legal ideas,the textual structure and the emotional color of the words. The differences may reveal its implications for the reform of criminal judgments today. These characteristics of ancient judgments are not only conducive to the realization of the judicial purpose of ancient society,but also have practical reference value for the current judicial reform in China,especially the reform of criminal judgments.