1950年代軍事審判法制變遷及其在政治案件之適用

Changes in the Military Trial Institutions in the 1950s and Its Application in Political Cases

本文探討1950年代軍事審判制度的修法變革以及其在政治案件上的適用。可以看到1956年以前的陸海軍審判法及戰時陸海空軍審判簡易規程採取糾問主義，對於被告的保障非常不足夠，欠缺辯護人的協助，且總統或上級可以透過核定制度介入審判。1950年代初期以後，隨著國內外的壓力，出現了軍事審判改革的動向，例如提供公設辯護人。1956年軍事審判法的施行，增設審級、選任辯護人等措施，對於被告的保障有所提升，且法制上宣稱審判獨立，限縮上級核定權限。不過從一些政治案件來看，還是可以看到上級對於審判的介入，導致審判獨立有其難度。

This article investigates statutory reforms within Taiwan’s military justice system during the 1950s, with a specific focus on their application in political cases. The study demonstrates that prior to 1956, military courts operated under an inquisitorial model offering defendants minimal procedural protections; notably, they lacked effective legal counsel, and the adjudication process was subject to intervention by the President or superior authorities via approval mechanisms. By the early 1950s, however, domestic and international pressures catalyzed a momentum for reform. The promulgation of the 1956 Military Trial Act formally bolstered procedural safeguards by establishing appellate reviews and institutionalizing the right to counsel. Doctrinally, the Act sought to assert adjudicative independence by curtailing the approval powers of superior authorities. Nevertheless, an analysis of political cases reveals that superior officers continued to intervene in trials, rendering the realization of judicial independence within the military justice system highly problematic.