貳、最高法院的角色

民主盟家最高法院最主要的關切點並非糾正 F 級法院之個別錯

, 1It 昆土訴法院之事。最高法院的主要關切點是一硨寬闊的，

體體系的矯正作品。

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This corrective action should focus on two main issues: bridging the gap between law and society, and protecting democracy. The judge is charged with both jobs simultaneous旬， and in most cases, they are complementary. But during various periods of history, one of them has taken precedence over the

oth眩. 1 think that in light of the increasing recognition of judicial review of

theωnstitutionality of statutes since the Second World War and of the inclusion of human rights provisions in new constitutions、 the secon技 ro妞，

preserving democracy, has grown in importance. This is certainly the case in the current age of defensive democracy, althou在h the second role has always existed, particularly in the field of private ]aw. Of course, these two roles are unique to the judic泊ry. Every branch of government in a constitutíonal democracy must protect that instítution and work to bridge the gap between law and society. The individual branches of 惡overnment are partners in

fulfillin在 these roles. 1 emphasize the role of the judicíary to point out that the judiciary shares responsibility for these tasks, and 1 wish to examine the methods that the judiciary employs to carry them out.

A. Bridging the Gap between Law and Society

The law regulates relationships between people. 1t prescribes patterns of

beh品'Íor. It ref1ects the values of society. The role of the judge is to understand the purpose of law in society and to help the law achieve its purpose. But the law of a society is a living organìsm. It is based on a 惡ìven

factual and social reality that is constantly changing. Sometimes the change is

drastic擎 sudden ， and easily identifiable. Sometime the chan在e is minor and

gradu泣，and cannot be noticed without thc propcr distance and pcrspective.

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以及守護憲法與民主。在大部分的案件中，法官必須同時居

關者是互補的。但在歷史不同階段中，其中一個會留於另一.個 c {區人認

，從二次世界大戰以來由於對台憲性法規司法審盔的日益承認，以及 人權保障接款不斷納入新憲法之中，可看出第二個角色一守護民主，愈 顯其重要性 c 11t騁，情況在防禦住民主持代尤然，雖然第三個角色依然存

，特5日在私法的領域中。當然，這兩幅角色並非單單針對司法制度，

在憲政民主國家中，政府的每一輯部門都要保障制度之揮作以鑼合法律 與社會之間的鴻溝，而政府的個別部門都是實現此兩種角色之夥伴。我 特點強調司法角色乃在指出可法分擔這略任務的數任，並且期望能檢視

可法為實現這兩種角色所使用之主法 O

一、彌合法律與社會闊的鴻溝

法律規範入與人之間的觀係，規定了行寫模式，亦反應了社會價俑 G 法官角色在於理解社會中法律的自由台並協助法律實現該目的。然俑，社 會中的法律乃是活性的有機體。法律相基於變動不居的社會實體上。這 種變動時而激烈、快速宿易於辨識;時前則是相既小、緩慢，不

的。法律與此流動的實體連結， t但是恆變的。

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Law's connection to this fluid reality implies that it too is alw必yschanging.

Sometime change in law precedes societal change and is even inte峙。d to stimulate it. In most cases、 however，a change in law is the result of a change in social reali守. Indeed, when social reality ch汶口惡的， the law must change too.

Just as change in social reality is the law of the lífe, responsiveness to change in social reality is the life of the law. It can be said th混 the history of law is the history of adaptin惡 the law to society's changing needs. 人thousand years of common law are a thous銷社 years of ^{chan惡的 in}the law in ^or這erto adapt it to the needs of a changing reality. The judge is the primary actor in effecting this ch汶口在e. He is the 躍的or partner in making common law. He is the senior partner in making common law. The legislature is the junior partner. It role is to correct mistakes in case law or in the mar皂ins of case law, and not to try to difficult dilemm紋， bec飢lse chan惡。 sometimes harms securi哼， certainty, and stability. The judge must balance the need for change with the need for stability. Professor Roscoe Pound expressed this well eighty years a息。.

Hence al1 thinking about law has struggled to reconcile the conflicting demands of the need of stability and of the need of change. Law must be st仇ble and yet it cannot stand sti 11.

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實體變邊，那麼法律也要有所改變。正如同社會實體之變還是生活中的 法則，但應社會實體的變遷則是法律的生命 O 甘ß法律史就是法律適應 社會需求的變揖史發為了使法律能組應社會實體改變之誨，因此，一部 千年之普通法就印證了一千年來為了適應社會實體贊這玄之法律變化 O

色，在鄧設普通法時法官是資深的立法夥 伴，立法機關則是資淺的立法夥伴 O 立法機關之任務堵在修正判供法之 錯誤或填補對例法之疏漏，但不是取代法宮作為普溫法立開發者。同樣 地，一部立法史可說是法律海應社會變潛需求之歷史。此詩，就立法酷

，立法機關是資深的事多1月去，法官則忠實解釋法律，是資淺的夥伴。