美国刑事诉讼中的无害错误规则及其启示

在美国刑事诉讼中,原审法院的错误可以被分为两类:宪法性错误与制定法错误.对所有的制定法错误以及部分宪法性错误,审查法院可以适用无害错误规则进行审查与处理,从而在认定错误无害时,维持原审判决.在直接上诉程序中,对宪法性错误与制定法错误进行审查的标准,分别是Chapman标准与Kotteakos标准.对人身保护令程序中的审查标准,美国联邦法院目前尚没有形成共识.美国法院通过适用无害错误规则,更加强调探求刑事案件的事实真相,更为重视案件的实体正义.我国应当借鉴美国的经验,在刑事诉讼法中明确确立无害错误规则.

Rule of Harmless Error in the Criminal Procedure of the USA and Its Reference Value

In the criminal procedure of the USA, the errors made by the first trial may divide into constitutional error and statutory error. The review court will use the rule of harmless error to examine and deal with all the statutory errors and part of the constitutional errors, and the judgment of first trial will be supported when the error is determined to be harmless. In the direct appeal procedure, the Chapman rule may apply to the constitutional error while the Kotteakos rule to the statutory error, however,...