近代早期英国治安法官群体与国家治理的兴起

The Justicesofthe Peaceand Riseofthe State Governance in Early Modern Britain

英国在从传统农业社会向近代工业社会转型的过程中,仰赖治安法官群体的支持与合作,以推进国家有序治理。治安法官群体是以乡绅为主体的地方人士,他们自愿充任治安法官一职,他们是无薪俸、业余的官僚。治安法官群体在近代英国的崛起,与英国国家治理的需求相契合。中央政府将地方治理的权力下放给治安法官群体,以简约治理的风格,实现社会秩序的维系之目标。近代早期英国国家治理的兴起绝非仅仅是中央政府强化对治安法官群体控制的结果,也是治安法官群体积极参与国家治理的结果。治安法官群体通过法庭履职,体现了近代早期英国行政司法化的国家治理机制。

The English state governance relied on support and cooperation of justices of the peace in transition from traditional society to modern society.Justices of the peace were selected from local men,mainly from the gentry.Justices of the peace had no salary,and they were amateur bureaucrats.The rise of justices of the peace met the requirements of the state governance in early modern Britain.In order to maintain social order,the central government delegated power of local governance to the justices of the peace.State governance in early modern Britain was not only the result of central government's control of justices of the peace,but also active participation in state governance of justices of the peace.Justices of the peace made use of courts to enforce their duties,which reflected the characteristic of administrative judicialization of English state governance.