摘要： 在分析1700余份陪审员调查问卷后发现,我国刑事合议庭呈现明显的高权力距离导向,合议庭中的权力距离深刻影响着陪审员参与刑事合议庭决策的行为。在我国高权力距离导向的合议庭中,陪审员实质参审程度会受到法官和陪审员关系、陪审员对法庭实现公平的信心以及陪审员的法律知识储备等因素的影响。我国陪审员参与刑事合议庭决策机制的形成,除与文化传统、陪审员法律知识不足等因素有关外,还与以审阅卷宗为核心的事实查明机制、陪审员行使权利缺乏刚性制度保障、实践中过度强调法官确保办案质量责任等因素有关。理解并承认参审制陪审员在审判中的外行地位和辅助定位,有助于我们对陪审制度形成更合理的预期。为进一步完善陪审制度,应当不断推进以审判为中心的诉讼制度改革,完善陪审员参与刑事合议庭的程序,并逐步确立陪审员的违法审判责任制度。

关键词: 陪审员, 合议庭决策, 权力距离, 以审判为中心的诉讼制度

Abstract: After analyzing more than 1700 lay assessors questionnaires, it was founded that the mixed court in China is a high power-distance orientation court, and the power distance in the mixed court influences the way of legal decision making.In the high power-distance orientation mixed court in China, it is the relationship between the judges and lay assessors, the lay assessors’ confidence in the fairness of the courts, and lay assessors’ legal knowledge that will influence the way how lay assessors participate in the legal decision making.There are some reasons for lay assessors’ decision making, such as social culture, assessor system and lack of legal knowledge of lay assessors.Besides above, the dossier-centered truth-finding mechanism, lack of rigid institutional guarantees for lay assessor to exercise their rights and overemphasis on judges' responsibility to ensure the correctness of the verdict, also influence the way how lay assessors participate in the legal decision making.Understanding and acknowledging the “layman” status of lay assessor will help us form more reasonable expectations for the lay assessors.In order to improve the lay assessors system, the reform of the trial-centered litigation system should be further promoted, and the procedures for lay assessors to participate in the criminal mixed courts and the lay assessors’ responsibilities should be improved.

Key words: Lay Assessors, Legal Decision Making in the Mixed Courts, Power Distance, Trial-centered Litigation System