———以“先前不一致陈述”为重要视角

［加］玛丽安·K·布朗 著 刘 玫，初殿清 译

【摘 要】 本文概览了澳大利亚、加拿大、新西兰、香港等四个主要的环太平洋普通法系国家和地区的传闻法律改革，尤其关注与先前不一致陈述相关的改革。指出先前不一致陈述事关“被告人获得公平对待”以及“证人的人权”等基本原则，因此，如何对待先前不一致陈述将成为一项有效的指标，通过该指标。 我们得以评价传闻法律改革中的关键原则以及个人权利在大多数严重犯罪的起诉、审判过程中的境况。认为无论借助成文法还是借助先例，公正的传闻法改革应当适用某些相互一致的基本原则，包括放宽采纳传闻的条件决不能以错案数量增长或不公正审判为代价，将传闻改革与保护被告人、证人的基本权利紧密联系起来，保护证人不受任何形式的强迫或不当侦查行为的干扰， 辩护律师必须能够无拘束地对陈述可采性加以质疑，通过充分、及时地开示证据来分析有争议的证据的可采性等。

【关键词】 传闻；传闻法律改革；先前不一致陈述

【中图分类号】 D915.13

【文献标识码】 A

【文章编号】 1674-1226（2008）06-0739-13

Reform and Proposed Reform of Hearsay Law in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Canada, with Special Regard to Prior Inconsistent Statements. Marian K. Brown. Criminal Appeals and Special Prosecutions British Columbia Ministry of Attorney General.

【Abstract】 This paper is an overview of law reform pertaining to hearsay and in particular prior inconsistent statements, in four major Pacific-Rim common-law jurisdictions: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. The prior inconsistent statement engages fundamental principles of fairness to the accused and human rights of the witness. Therefore the treatment of prior inconsistent statements is a useful indicator of key principles in the reform of hearsay law, and a useful indicator of how individual rights are faring in the prosecution and adjudication of the most serious crimes. The comparison suggests that some consistent principles apply to the just reform of hearsay law, whether by statute or by precedent, among which are that freer admission of hearsay must not contribute to an increased number of wrongful convictions or to unfair trials, that the hearsay reform should be bound to the preservation of fundamental rights of the accused and the witnesses, that the witnesses are free from any form of coercion or investigatory misconduct, that the defence counsel must be capable and unfettered in challenges to the admissibility of statements, that the admissibility of contentious evidence should be analyzed in the context of full, timely disclosure, and that the procedure should rest on the foundation of transparent police investigation.

【Key Words】 Hearsay，Hearsay law reform，Prior inconsistent statement