獨立冤案審議委員會及相關法制的芻議

An Evaluation of the Independent Criminal Cases Review Commission

刑事訴訟程序一直有當事人主義及職權主義的不同主張，但兩者應該可以有一個共同的底線，也就是避免對無辜之人施加刑罰。然而，冤案的研究上，有其困難之處，因為在現實上究竟有多少冤案，都難以掌握。現行的再審法制歷經修正，但是從統計數據上來看，能夠成功地開啟再審的案件，仍然是鳳毛麟角。其中的原因，可能包括了檢察官欠缺調查冤案的動機、管窺視野、既有的案件負擔，受判決人難以取得證據，以及開始再審與否是由法院決定等因素。在參考了英國等國家的獨立刑事案件審議委員會（Criminal Cases Review Commission, CCRC）的制度後，這一篇論文建議，我國可以考慮設置類似的獨立機構，使無辜之人更有機會得以平反。除了個案的救援外，我們同時建議，應仿照國外的作法，針對冤案進行系統性的研究，以根本地解決冤案的問題。

Although researchers argue about whether the criminal process should be handled using an adversarial or an inquisitorial system, but in either case, the process should not result in the conviction of an innocent person. Studying wrongful convictions is difficult because doing so involves black numbers, which are extremely difficult to calculate. Although the retrial law has been repeatedly revised, retrial cases remain rare. This is because public prosecutors are not motivated to investigate wrongful convictions, have tunnel vision, and are heavily burdened with cases; moreover, defendants cannot obtain evidence and courts have limited jurisdiction. In this study, we argue that we can establish an institution similar to the Criminal Cases Review Commission to help exonerate innocent individuals. In the future, researchers should systematically study the causes of wrongful convictions except relying on case-by-case remedies.