论环境民事公益诉讼中因果关系要件的证明

On the Proof of Causality in Environmental Civil Public Interest Litigation

当前,环境民事公益诉讼中因果关系要件的证明责任如何分配及其证明标准如何设定,对此理论界和实务界仍有很大争议。在证明责任分配问题上,解决路径在于参照适用《民法典》第一千二百三十条的规定,由被告承担环境民事公益诉讼中因果关系要件的客观证明责任。与此同时,原告需提供能够证明关联性事实的初步证据。这一规则应当理解为因果关系的法律推定。将因果关系法律推定规则引入环境民事公益诉讼中具有合理性基础,如纠正人们对环境侵权因果关系要件“证明责任倒置”的错误认识、防止原告滥用诉权、平衡原被告双方的举证负担。在证明标准问题上,环境民事公益诉讼中因果关系要件的证明标准应因事后救济性环境民事公益诉讼和预防性环境民事公益诉讼的类型划分而有所区别,且受关联性事实认定标准的影响。

At present,how to assign the burden of proof of causality and how to set the standard of proof in environmental civil public interest litigation is still controversial in the theoretical and practical circles.In terms of the distribution of burden of proof,the solution lies in referring to the provisions of Article 1230 of the Civil Code,and the defendant shall bear the objective burden of proof of causality elements in environmental civil public interest litigation.At the same time,the plaintiff needs to provide prima facie evidence that can prove the relevant facts.This rule should be understood as a legal presumption of causation.It is reasonable to introduce the rule of legal presumption of causality into environmental civil public interest litigation,such as correcting people’s wrong understanding of“inversion of burden of proof”,preventing the plaintiff from abusing the right of action,and balancing the burden of proof of both sides of the original defendant.On the issue of proof standard,the proof standard of causality elements in environmental civil public interest litigation should be different due to the types of post-relief environmental civil public interest litigation and preventive environmental civil public interest litigation,and be affected by the relevant fact determination standard.