上訴審對於死刑判決的量刑審查——以日本最高裁判所平成27年2月3日的二則判決為例

Judicial Review of Death Sentences in the Court of Appeals: Two Judgements of the Supreme Court of Japan on 3rd February 2015

量刑不當也是上訴理由之一，此時量刑基準為何？原判決有無違背？即為應該審酌之問題。特別是鑑於死刑的最後手段性質，通常都會較為詳盡的說明是否選擇之理由，容易窺見上訴審如何審查之判斷過程。對此，本文考察日本最高裁判所平成27年2月3日的二則肯定第二審廢棄第一審死刑判決之案例，觀察日本實務思考方式與相關評釋，以供我國學說、實務參考。

Inappropriate sentencing causes a request for appeals. In this case, what criterion might be employed? Is there any conflict between the previous verdict and the laws? These are the concerns. Since the death penalty is the ultimate punishment, the ruling usually details the grounds which reveal the procedure of reviewing sentences in the court of appeals. Therefore, this article investigates two judgements of the Supreme Court of Japan on 3rd February 2015 acknowledging the reversed death sentencing on appeal. The rationales articulated by Japanese courts might shed light on the judicial path for Taiwanese theory and practice.