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Pursuing the Judicial Election Reform in the United States : Judicial Independence, Impartiality, and the Public Confidence in the Courts

推行美国司法选举改革：司法独立、公正和公众对法院的信任

基本信息

批准号：
22730010
负责人：
HARAGUCHI Yoshiaki
金额：
$ 1.75万
依托单位：
Waseda University
依托单位国家：
日本
项目类别：
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
财政年份：
2010
资助国家：
日本
起止时间：
2010 至 2011
项目状态：
已结题

项目摘要

This study focuses on the historical development of judicial election and its recent challenges and reforms in the United States. The main purpose for each state to amend its constitution to introduce judicial election in 1850s was to make the judiciary robust and independent from other political branches rather than to put it under control by the people themselves. However, as modern judicial election has become much more politicized than ever through involvement of various interest groups, it caused widespread national concerns over ensuring the judicial impartiality and fair trial required by due process. In response to such concerns, the U. S. Supreme Court has dealt with the matter and several states have begun to promote the reform of their judicial appointment system. Through evaluating the previous studies of legal history and carrying out the empirical analyses on judicial election, it is revealed that some states try to create a new judicial appointment system in which both contradicted elements of democratic control and fair trial should be harmonized. In addition, it is proved that public confidence or trust in the court is based not only on democratic accountability and transparency of the courts, but also on the general expectation for judicial independence and impartiality, the unique and original role of elected judges different from elected politicians. From the viewpoint of comparative law, this study is suggestive for revisiting the judicial appointment system of the Supreme Court of Japan, which introduces retention election like the merit plan, in relation with the basic propositions of judicial independence and impartiality and public confidence in the court.

本研究主要探讨美国司法选举制度的历史发展，以及近年来司法选举制度所面临的挑战与改革。19世纪50年代，美国各州修改宪法引入司法选举制度的主要目的是使司法系统独立于其他政治部门，而不是由人民自己控制。然而，由于现代司法选举由于各种利益集团的参与而变得比以往任何时候都更加政治化，它引起了全国对确保适当程序所要求的司法公正和公平审判的广泛关注。为了回应这些担忧，美国政府在2008年12月宣布，S.最高法院已经处理了这一问题，一些州已经开始推动其司法任命制度的改革。通过对以往法律的史研究的评述和对司法选举的实证分析，揭示了一些国家试图建立一种新的司法任命制度，在这种制度中，民主控制和公正审判这两个相互矛盾的因素应该得到协调。此外，事实证明，公众对法院的信心或信任不仅基于法院的民主问责制和透明度，而且还基于对司法独立和公正的普遍期望，以及民选法官不同于民选政治家的独特和原创作用。本文从比较法的角度，结合司法独立、公正和公众对法院的信任等基本主张，对日本最高法院的法官任命制度进行了反思。