有利被告的中国历史话语

在浩瀚的中国法律史籍中,不乏有利被告的话语,"罪疑惟轻"、"举重明轻"、"处重为轻从轻法"与"格轻听依轻法"等便是其典型代表。这些历史话语或从程序或从实体的角度,表达了对被告有利的选择,而且大都因源远流长与对后世影响深远而成为中国传统法律文化的组成部分。但是,关于有利被告的这些中国历史话语,与西方有利被告的话语"貌合"而"神离",不宜相提并论。在当下中国培植有利被告的理念,首先必需对深植于儒家中庸文化之中的有利被告的中国历史话语予以清理。

Classic Chinese Expressions in Favor of the Accused

In the literature of Chinese legal history,one can readily find some expressions in favor of the accused,such as yizuiweiqing(in doubt,in favor of mitigation),juzhongmingqing(while punishing the accused on the analogy of a felonious provision,in favor of mitigation),chuzhongweiqingcongqingfa(the appellant cannot be imposed on more severe punishment) and geqingtingyiqingfa(while there are different laws,prefer the law that imposes milder penalty),which illustrate the alternatives in favor of the accused both from the procedural and the substantive perspectives,forming an important part of Chinese traditional legal culture because of their everlasting and far-reaching influence.However,such Chinese expressions in favor of the accused are in essence quite different from the similar western ones though they are seemingly in harmony.To have the notion in favor of the accused firmly entrenched in Chinese culture,one should at first study the historical expressions in favor of the accused that are imbued with the golden mean of Confucianism.