摘要： 清代对于儿童致毙人命案的处理，是将“请”“减”“赎”等特权与传统刑律的“六杀” 体系及死刑复核制度融合在一起而形成的法律运作系统，其原理是“恤幼矜弱” 的道德理念。随着法律实践的发展，乾隆年间形成定例，从加害人的客观年龄、加害人与被害人的年龄差距以及具体案件中的理曲欺凌情由等三个方面对“弱”进行界定，确保通过上请减流收赎的儿童确实是值得矜悯的弱者，从而实现了道德化的律文与实用性的条例之间的结合，平衡了加害人与被害人之间的权益。这种“实质理性”的法律思维及对实质正义的追求，在秋审规则和虚岁计龄法中同样有所体现。对比而言，西方的少年法律体系是基于“儿童是非理性人” 的假设而展开的形式逻辑演绎。随着社会的发展和不同文化观念的冲击，这种假设也面临着挑战，不得不以“保护未成年人”的实质性理念来补强，却又因忽视被害人的利益而陷入争议。

关键词: 儿童致毙人命案, 恤幼矜弱, 秋审, 实质理性, 少年法

Abstract: When children committed homicides during the Qing dynasty, their cases were handled by the same justice system used for adult offenders. But from a very early time, Chinese law endorsed the notion that children and other vulnerable groups were worthy of the law's compassion. This article explores legal avenues to that compassion, from the law's efforts to clarify and define what marked a perpetrator as“weak”to the various legal provisions permitting such“weak”offenders to memorialize for mercy or request reduction and redemption of punishment. It finds that compassion for the weak was woven into both the letter of the law and the law in practice, resulting in a justice system that balanced the needs of victims and offenders alike.

Key words: Cases of Children that Committed Homicide, Compassion for the Children and the Weak, Autumn Assizes, Substantive Rationality, Juvenile Law