“洗冤”还是“沉冤”:案例所见《洗冤录》与清代命案检验实效

Washing Away or Depositing Wrongs:Based on Xiyuan lu and Actual Effect of Forensics in Qing Dynasty

由道光初年德清案的审理可见,《洗冤录》在清代命案检验中的权威地位,与其固有局限之间存在矛盾,使得“洗冤”时而流于空谈。《洗冤录》的内容并非全然精确,难以在客观上真正区别部分尸伤和死因,故官吏得以在权威文本的背书下混淆案情、改换死因。而审转制下,官员出于利己或规避司法责任,其对《洗冤录》的运用与解释时有恣意和庸俗化之虞,使之成为粉饰案情的工具与回避问题的借口。“法弊”与“人弊”相互交织,使得《洗冤录》在部分案件中不仅未能实现“洗冤”的理想,反而令“沉冤”得以坐实。

From the trial of the case of Deqing in the early years of Daoguang s reign,it can be seen that there is a contradiction between the authoritative position of Xiyuan lu and its inherent limitations in the forensics in Qing Dynasty,which makes“washing away wrongs”sometimes become empty talk.The contents of Xiyuan lu are not totally accurate,and it is difficult to objectively distinguish between some body injuries and the cause of death,so the officials can confuse the truth and change the cause of death under the endorsement of the authoritative text.However,out of self-interest or to avoid judicial responsibility,officials often use and interpret Xiyuan lu in an arbitrary or vulgarized manner,making it a tool to whitewash cases and an excuse to avoid problems.In these situations,Xiyuan lu not only fails to realize the ideal of“washing away wrongs”,but leads to“depositing wrongs”.