论法官助理制度的功能定位与职权界分

On the Function and Authority of Law Clerk

员额制、立案登记制以及以审判为中心的诉讼制度改革等系列改革措施的推进使入额法官面临空前的办案压力。合理的法官助理制度使数量有限的法官处理大量案件成为可能,同时为法律人才的培养提供了良好的渠道。界定法官助理的职权范围,应当以能否保障裁判的正当性为标准。根据这一标准,对非讼案件、简易程序案件进行审理和裁判的职权以及处理审前事务的职权可以划归法官助理行使。我国现行法官助理制度片面重视法官助理提高诉讼效率的功能,忽视了培养和储备法律人才的功能,导致法官助理岗位丧失吸引力。同时,现行制度未赋予法官助理审理非讼案件、简易程序案件,以及主持审前程序的权力,不利于降低法官的办案压力。为综合解决上述问题,应当将法官助理岗位分为初级法官助理和高级法官助理,并设定不同的任职条件和职权范围。

The implement of a series of reform measures, such as post system, registration system and trial-centered litigation system reform, has brought huge pressure on post judges to handle cases. A reasonable law clerk system makes it possible for a limited number of judges to handle a large number of cases, and provides a good channel for the cultivation of legal talents. We should take it as the standard that whether or not the justification of the judgement is safeguarded when defining the authority of law clerk. According to this standard, the power to try and adjudicate non-litigious cases and summary cases, and handle pre-trial affairs can be assigned to the law clerk. The current law clerk system in China pays unilateral attention to the function of improving the efficiency of litigation, neglects the function of training and reserving legal talents, and this leads to the loss of attractiveness of the law clerk position. At the same time, the current system does not empower law clerks the power to try and adjudicate non-litigation cases, summary cases, and the power to preside over pre-trial procedures, which is not conducive to reducing the pressure of judges to handle cases. In order to solve these problems comprehensively, we should divide the post of law clerk into junior law clerk and senior law clerk, and set up different conditions and authority for each of them.