美国法下的城堡准则

Castle Doctrine under American Law

英美普通法允许遭到非法侵害的行为人对侵害者采用反击行为,即自我防卫。城堡准则是自我防卫的特殊情形,如果发生暴力侵犯的地点在行为人的居所内,行为人无需履行退避义务,可以直接使用武力进行防卫。美国各州均通过成文刑法典或者刑法判例的形式适用城堡准则。近年来,城堡准则的适用范围在美国有扩大化的趋势,部分州通过就地防卫法将城堡准则适用的范围从居所扩大到任何行为人合法所处的地点,引起了很大争议。

The Anglo-American common law allows a person who has been illegally attacked to use counterattacks against the offender,that is,self-defense.The Castle Doctrine is a special case of self�defense.If the violence is committed in a person's dwelling,he can use force to defend without the duty to retreat.Each state in the United States has adopted the Castle Doctrine in the form of a written criminal code or a criminal law precedent.In recent years,the scope of the Castle Doctrine has been expanded in the United States.Some states have passed Stand Your Ground Law and expanded the scope of the Castle Doctrine from a person's dwelling to anywhere he has a right to be,which have caused great controversy in the United States.