刑法追诉时效溯及力原则的确证与展开

Justification and Elaboration on the Retroactivity Principle of Prosecution Limitation in Criminal Law

在追溯时效溯及力的问题上,"从新原则"与"从新兼从旧"原则都因理论基础缺陷与法律根据失当而缺乏正当合理性。追诉时效溯及力应当采用"从旧兼从轻"原则,其正当根据首先来自于罪刑法定原则的支撑。其次,《刑法》第12条溯及力条款的规范保护目的为追诉时效溯及力采用"从旧兼从轻"原则提供了目的论解释根据。最后,最高人民法院的司法解释通过补正解释的方式也确证了追诉时效溯及力应当采用"从旧兼从轻"的原则。司法实践中对于涉及新旧刑法交替的刑事案件,应当先进行刑法溯及力判断再进行追诉时效判断,对于刑法溯及力判断与追诉时效的判断可以交叉适用新法和旧法。应当严格按照刑法条文的字面涵义对1979年《刑法》第77条的"采取强制措施后"进行文理解释,把司法机关只作出采取强制措施决定但没有实际采取强制措施的情形排除在不受追诉期限限制的范围之外。

The principle of application of new law and the principle of application of old and new laws lack propriety due to the absence of theoretical basis and the inappropriateness of legal foundation.The principle of application of the old law with the exception of a light punishment has its propriety firstly from the support of nulla poena sine lege doctrine.Furthermore,the normative protection purpose of the retroactivity clause under Article 12 of the Criminal Law provides teleological interpretation basis for the principle of application of the old law with the exception of a light punishment.Finally,through supplemental interpretation,the judicial interpretation by the Supreme People's Court certified that the principle of application of the old law with the exception of a light punishment shall be adopted on the retroactivity of prosecution limitation.In practical cases concerning alternation between new and old criminal laws,retroactivity judgment shall be done before prosecution limitation judgment;new and old laws can be applied crosswise to adjudicate retroactivity and prosecution limitation problems.The term"after the compulsory measures are taken"in Article 77 of the 1979 Criminal Law should be interpreted strictly according to its textual meaning,thereby excluding the condition where the judicial organ only made decision of taking compulsory measures but did not take them in fact from the conditions not limited by prosecution limitation.