論少年刑事案件中的責任與量刑──少年量刑原理芻議

An Essay on Responsibility and Sentencing in Juvenile Criminal Cases: Reconsidering the Principles of Juvenile Sentencing

本文旨在探討少年刑事案件中責任與量刑之定位，具體討論有關少年刑事責任的內涵、少年刑罰之正當性基礎以及其與保護處分的區別，最後提出少年刑事案件的量刑基本原理。首先，基於發展心理學與神經科學的證據，少年的未成熟，使其可責性通常低於一般成年人。其次，無論是少年保護事件或刑事案件，皆有協助少年「自我健全成長」的共通目標。然而，少年刑事處分實質上仍為刑罰，故仍應以縮減後的行為責任為處罰上限，並在該範圍內極大化教育性與社會復歸導向的處遇內容。法院於量刑時應留意少年之刑罰感受程度較敏感；徒刑應為最後手段，應積極使用自由刑替代措施。法院應參酌少年調查報告，並應優先審酌有利於少年福祉之各種情狀。

This article examines the contours of juvenile criminal responsibility and sentencing, focusing on the justificatory basis of juvenile punishment and its distinction from protective measures. Developmental psychology and neuroscience consistently demonstrate juveniles’immaturity in impulse control, emotional regulation, and normative comprehension, thereby reducing their culpability relative to adults. Although both protective and criminal proceedings share the overarching aim of fostering juveniles’well development, criminal dispositions remain punitive in substance and must therefore be constrained by a juvenile’s diminished responsibility. Within this limit, courts should prioritize educational and rehabilitative measures, treating imprisonment as a last resort and actively considering noncustodial alternatives. Sentencing should rely on juvenile investigation reports and give primacy to welfare-enhancing factors to ensure a proportionate and developmentally appropriate disposition.