摘要
本文研究清代大約從1651年至1911年間成千上萬刑名錢穀幕友作為法律工作者的歷史淵源、專業訓練、工作模式、職業認同感、司法道德理念、以及職業化程度。作者通過使用大量的原始檔案和相關文獻，在學界前輩的研究成果基礎之上，更深入地分析了這些清代法律專業人士的職業境況和歷史地位。在長達兩個世紀的時間裏，這些人很可能是清代各級地方政府衙門中事實上控制司法運行的專家。本文還根據檔案資料初步估計，自1711到1911年期間，每年大約有三千名受過法律訓練的幕友同時在清代地方司法衙門工作，如果以幕友人均連續工作二十年來計算，這意味著在那二百年間共有約三萬名這樣的法律專業人員在支撐著清代地方司法制度。本文的研究有助於重新審視明清時期中國法律文化和司法制度及其對現代中國法治建設之影響。
This article studies the historical origin, legal training, career patterns, professional identity and ethics, judicial philosophy, and scale of professionalization of thousands of legal specialists in late imperial China from about 1651 to1911. It draws attention to these Chinese legal practitioners or jurists who were the de facto judges in probably most of the 1,650 or so Qing local governments for more than two centuries. Based on archival sources, the article offers an estimate of about 3,000 such trained legal specialists working in local yamen in any given year from roughly 1711 to 1911, which means an estimated total of 30,000 for that period as a whole. The article points toward a rethinking of the received wisdom on late imperial Chinese legal culture and judicial administration, as well as their legacy on modern China’s drive for the rule of law.
關鍵詞
清代司法、法律文化、幕友、法律專家
legal advisors、Chinese legal culture、professionalization