法国刑事证据自由原则及其限制

法国刑事证据自由原则，即将证据能力与证据形式作一清楚切割，允许通过任何形式证明犯罪事实。证据形式自由与证据评估自由及法官依据内心确信裁判的伦理责任一道构成自由心证制度体系。法国证据自由原则历经古典时期的萌芽、中世纪的式微、法国大革命的确立及现代发展四个阶段。法国确立证据自由原则的合理依据是刑事诉讼的特殊属性、提高打击犯罪效率的需要及揭示案件真相的要求。合法性及正当性是对证据自由原则的限制。法国通过立法及判例规定了对主要取证手段的限制，如讯问犯罪嫌疑人、搜查与扣押、电信截听及诱惑侦查。程序无效制度保证限制的有效性，通过程序性制裁形成威慑力。正当性的灵活性及程序无效的偶发性使得法国在刑事证据上从加强“限制”重回“自由”，达成新的平衡。重视“实体真实”始终是法国刑事司法最为核心的价值，这不啻为中国当前完善刑事证据制度提供新的启发。

The principle of free criminal evidence and its limits in France

The principle of free criminal evidence clearlydistinguishes the ability of evidence from the form of evidence, allowing to prove criminal facts by any form of evidence. The free evaluation system includes three parts: free form of evidence, free evaluation of evidence and moral responsibility ofthe judge according to l’intime conviction. The principle of free criminal evidence in France has passed through four stages of development, the germination in classic period, the decline in middle ages, the establishment during the French Revolution and the modern development stage. The principle of free criminal evidence in France is reasonably based on the special character of criminal procedure, the need to improve efifciency of ifghting againstcrimes, and the requirements of revealing the truth of case. Legality and justiifcation are the limitations to the principle of free criminal evidence. French legislation and precedents impose restrictions on principal waysto collecting evidences, such as the interrogation of criminal suspects, search and seizure, interception of telecommunication and entrapment. The invalid procedure system ensures the effectiveness of the limits, producing the deterrence by procedural sanctions. The lfexibility of the justiifcation and thecontingencyof invalid procedure result in the return of strengthening “free” againststrengthening the “limits”regarding the criminal evidence in France, reaching a new balance. Attaching great importance to the “substantial truth” has always been the core value of French criminal justice and provides a new inspiration for China to improve the system of criminal evidence.