The Embodiment of Enhancing Family Civility in China's Civil Code

“Development of family civilization”has joined legislative language system from policy language and ethical language,and has become the basic value orientation of the Marriage and Family Section of Civil Code of the People's Republic of China(hereinafter referred to as“the Civil Code”).We need to specify significance and jurisprudence of family civilization,and make family civilization harmonious with the basic principles(basic value orientations)of Marriage and Family Section and Inheritance Section.The significance of family civilization in the new era should be taken to include equality,respect,loyalty and unity,as is specified through the legal rules of marriage and family.Development of family civilization does not challenge freedom,but overcomes the defects of individualism in the identity community so as to fully realize the liberal and all-round development of each family member.By integrating family civilization with the basic value orientation of its Marriage and Family Section,the Civil Code has demonstrated a basic position of valuing“family”and of“coordinating the relationship betweenaindividual and family.”Moreover,it has revealed the basic attitude of Chinese people towards marital relationship and even towards marriage and family:Marriage and family provide a warm harbor of ethical love with legal significance,a weal-and-woe-sharing community of affection and property wherein family members,husband and wife in particular,focus on overall coordination.It is a closeknit group of equality,harmony,solidarity,like-mindedness,mutual respect and care for the elderly and for the young,and of trust-worthy team.

On the Legislative Concept and New Rules of the System of Marriage and Family in China's Civil Code

Twenty-four new or revised systems or rules have been incorporated in the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China for the purpose of strengthening the State's protection of marriage and family,promoting development of family civilization,and respecting the autonomy of the parties to marriage and family.Furthermore,they are designed for advancing equal marriage and family status,implementing the principle for the best interests of children,and protecting the rights and interests of the weak in marriage and family.In the Marriage and Family Section of the Civil Code,the Chapter 1“General”has got the new principle of the State protecting marriage and family,new advisory rule for promoting development of marriage and family civilization,and new principle for protecting the best interest of adoptees.Moreover,it has defined the types of relatives,close relatives and family members.In the Chapter 2“Marriage,”the lawful circumstances for prohibiting marriage and for invalidating marriage are reduced,the scheme of revoking a marriage is revised and supplemented;the obligation of telling the truth about major diseases,and the right for the innocent party to claim damages for an invalid or revoked marriage,are added.In the Chapter 3“Family Relations,”the rules of husband and wife's family agency right and its restriction,the rules of marital common debt determination,the rules of marital common property split,and the rule of litigation for the confirmation and denial of parent-child relationship,are added;in the Chapter 4“Divorce,”the pre-divorce coolingoff period and the time for dissolution of marriage relationship are added,the legal circumstances for divorce in litigation,the rules for dealing with child support during divorce,and the principle of splitting the common property of divorced couples are supplemented,the applicable conditions of divorce financial compensation and divorce financial assistance are modified,and the legal circumstances for divorce damage compensation is increased;in the Chapter 5“Adoption,”the age of adoptees and the number of adopted children are relaxed,the conditions of adopters are revised,and the adoption evaluation rules are added.

婚姻家庭本质与民法体系中的婚姻家庭法

从婚姻以及家庭制度的起源、发展、演变的历史中,可以发现婚姻与家庭密不可分。很大的程度上,婚姻是家庭的基础,家庭是婚姻的归宿。因此,在历史视角中,研究婚姻以及家庭的基本属性,能够进一步明确婚姻家庭的本质属性。婚姻通过近代社会中合同关系的演变,现代社会中普遍认为婚姻本质上应是一种身份关系。家庭从个人的容身之处逐渐演变为社会的重要的组成单位,现代市民社会中的家庭本质上是由具有婚姻或血缘关系的个人组成的共同体(团体)。据此可以说,婚姻家庭本质上是一种基于伦理性身份而结合的团体。事实上,尽管婚姻家庭法作为我国民法体系的组成部分,已经成为学术基本共识。我国立法机关也明确指出婚姻家庭法为民法典的婚姻家庭编。但我国民事立法传承大陆法系的立法模式和内容,并没有身份法的立法理念。就大陆法系的立法而言,无论是采用民商合一立法体例的民法典,抑或是采用民商分立立法体例的民法典本身并没有有关婚姻家庭特殊的价值理念,也没有婚姻家庭身份性的立法要素,其民法典中身份法的立法只是简单地将财产法的价值理念贯彻于婚姻家庭的制度之中。就此而论,传统民法典体系视角下婚姻家庭法为财产法。我国民事立法从属于大陆法系一部分,亦是如此。然而,婚姻家庭关系在本质上是具有人伦性的情感关系。民法典也不仅仅是财产法典,而是集人格法、身份法、财产法于一体的民法典。其实,婚姻家庭法立法的身份化也是现代化民法典的要求。婚姻家庭能为市民社会提供伦理的合理性。而且婚姻家庭法中的财产关系本质上也是附属于身份关系的财产关系,具有身份化的属性。为此,我国未来民法典婚姻家庭编应当以婚姻家庭的本质属性重构民法体系中的婚姻家庭法。婚姻家庭法制度的构建不仅要重新认可并定位婚姻家庭的主体地位,而且也还应当秉承人伦的观念,遵循家庭本位、家庭团体性、同居共财的理念并且适当纳入习惯法与道德规范,从而在婚姻家庭制度的设计上贯彻伦理精神,为家庭功能的重塑与家庭规则的重建提供各方面的支持。

《民法典》成年监护制度的进步及瞻望

《民法典》成年监护制度明确了最有利于被监护人和尊重真实意愿,规定了撤销监护资格的相关内容,增加了临时照护,构建了以家庭监护为基础、社会监护为补充、国家监护为兜底的监护制度体系,意义重大。但仍存在以下问题:以剥夺行为能力作为设立前提,对被监护人的保护不周全;最有利于被监护人原则与尊重真实意愿含义不明、存在冲突,忽略了被监护人的残留意思;监护决定措施单一,无法满足被监护人多元需求等。借鉴国外立法,我国《民法典·婚姻家庭编》在未来修订时应增加成年监护分则,将行为能力制度与成年监护制度切断,并以尊重本人真实意愿为主,最佳利益为辅;建立监护替代决定措施与协助决定措施多元化并存的规范体系。

性别平等视域下的《民法典婚姻家庭编》立法

性别平等,不仅是男女两性的平等,而且应将性少数群体也纳入其中。《民法典婚姻家庭编》立法应在宪法定准、民法建构的基础上,实现性别平等的制度化和具体化,以开放和包容的立法心态回应时代提出的问题。

隐瞒重大疾病婚姻撤销权解释论

隐瞒重大疾病可撤销婚姻条款的创设,从事前预防和事后救济两个维度树立了诚信婚姻观,为不知情的婚姻当事人提供了自主救济权利。“重大疾病”的范围应从“足以影响当事人结婚意愿”和“对双方婚后生活造成重大影响”两个维度作类型列举。对“如实告知”的判断,可分为“故意不告知”和“未如实告知”两种情形,并遵循生命健康权优先于隐私权的价值衡量标准。无论撤销权人是否隐瞒了自己的病情,均不影响其基于对方隐瞒重大疾病而行使撤销权,撤销权人丧失行为能力且丧失前未放弃撤销权的,其近亲属可代为行使。婚检机构未检出所患疾病或检出后,未向受检双方作出暂缓结婚医学建议的,婚检机构需承担相应的损害赔偿责任。在涉及亲子关系、善意债权人利益、过错方救济等问题时,其法律效果可参照适用离婚规则。

《民法典·婚姻家庭编》的编纂策略与制度走向

《民法典·婚姻家庭编》的编纂是《民法典》编纂中的重要一环。关注立法基点,在于审视、丰富、回应《民法典·婚姻家庭编》编纂的理念、智慧与期待;关注编纂策略,在于实现《民法典·婚姻家庭编》编纂的价值定位--注重体系协调、尊重主体需要、维护性别平等、矫正社会排挤、维护公平正义;关注制度走向,在于完成《民法典·婚姻家庭编》编纂的规范定位--明确婚姻自由边界、充实夫妻关系内涵、规制亲子关系认定、实现收养制度回归。高效、高质地完成《民法典·婚姻家庭编》编纂的历史使命,将实现编纂《民法典》的价值追求与社会期待。