美国法律重述鸟瞰

An Overview of Restatement of the Law by American Law Institute

为弥补普通法的固有缺陷,美国法律研究院得以成立并通过法律重述进行改革。法律重述所涵盖的领域从最初的9个逐步拓宽到现在的21个,部分重要法律领域的法律重述的编纂方式也从整体的一次性推出转变为分批推出。每个领域的重述都由报告人及参与专家通过特定的编纂程序反复汲取学理和判例的智慧而完成。美国的法律重述以条为基本单位,每一条通过黑体字规则、评注、例证与报告人注释阐明具体规范。这些清晰明确的规则成为了美国的重要法律渊源,对美国的法学教育和法律共同体的发展产生了积极而广泛的影响。在评价上,对美国法律研究院及其重述工作既有赞美之声,亦不乏指责其激进或保守的批评。从比较法上看,德国的法律评注与美国的法律重述在价值取向上都体现了对法律体系与法律共同体的追求,两者的工作方式与成果对于即将实现法典化的我国具有重要的借鉴意义。

The American Law Institute was organiszed to deal with the chief defects of uncertainty and complexity in the common law by the means of the restatements of the laws.This work began with the first nine restatements and covers twenty-one branches by now now.Moreover,some restatements have changed their way of compilation from integrally as ain bulk to into batches.Every restatement is compilated by the reporter and other participants following the specified procedures set forth before and absorbeds the wisdom of doctrines and cases.The fundamental structural unit of the restatements is the section,which normally consisting of three parts:the Black Letter,Comment and Illustrations,and Reporter's Notes.These well-defined rules play a crucial role in the course of legal reasoning as persuasive authority,and make contributions to the development of American legal education and the formation of legal community.Aside from the complimentpraise,there areexists also criticism regardingabout the American Law Institute with and their work of restatements for their activism or conservatism.Otherwise,Ffrom the perspectivestandpoint of comparative law,the American restatements of the laws from America and the German legal commentaries share the same value orientation to the pursuit of legal system and legal community.The working methods and the achievements of the two have a wider significance for Chinaus as,when facing the new eara of codification initated.