中国刑事专家辅助人向专家证人的角色转变

中国的刑事专家辅助人具有既类似于律师又类似于鉴定人、证人的多重属性;围绕专家辅助人意见的性质,也形成了质证方式说、鉴定意见说、证人证言说等多种观点。角色定位上的混乱,不仅造成了独具特色的鉴定人与专家辅助人的双轨制,而且常常使专家辅助人意见的法庭采信陷入困境。从最高人民法院有关专家辅助人的新近规定看,专家辅助人的角色呈现出向专家证人转变的趋势。这种转变的核心要求,一是实现鉴定人和专家辅助人的诉讼地位平等,专家辅助人意见和鉴定意见在专家证言意义上的证据效力平等;二是使专家辅助人回归专家证人本色,将强加给专家辅助人的不合理的质证职责交还给律师、检察官;三是提高律师、检察官熟练运用交叉询问规则、对科学证据进行质证的能力,充分发挥法官的科学证据“守门人”作用,以适应事实认定科学化的需要。

Role Evolution from Expert Assistant to Expert Witnessin Criminal Cases in China

In the context of Chinese criminal procedure,the role of an expert assistant is multifaceted,somewhat similar to a lawyer,and somewhat similar to a witness.Views on the nature of an expert assistant also range from“a cross-examination method”,“forensic expertise”to“witness testimony”.This confusion regarding the role of an expert assistant has not only resulted in the unique“dual-track system”of forensic examination and expert assistant,but also led to difficulties in deciding the reliability of an expert assistant’s opinions in trial.Recent regulations on expert assistant issued by the Supreme People’s Court have shown a trend of evolution of the role of expert assistant towards that of expert witness.The core requirements of this evolution include,firstly,achieving the equal litigation status of forensic examiner and expert assistant and the equal testimonial status of their opinions in the sense of expert testimony;secondly,giving the duty of cross-examination,which has been unreasonably imposed on expert assistants,back to lawyers and prosecutors;and thirdly,improving the ability of lawyers and prosecutors to cross-examine scientific-evidences and giving full play to the judge’s role as the“gatekeeping”of scientific evidence,so as to help lawyers and prosecutors to adapt themselves to the needs of“scientization of fact-finding”.