诉讼时效制度的价值考量

【作者】 周敏；

【导师】 丰霏；

【作者基本信息】 南京师范大学 ， 法学理论， 2021， 硕士

【摘要】 尽管诉讼时效制度引入我国已久,但是在理论和司法实践中仍然存在一些亟需解决的问题。自《民法总则》对诉讼时效制度期间延长至三年以来,学界对诉讼时效制度的讨论日渐增多,这在一定程度上也说明了诉讼时效制度的法律地位的明显提升。本文从制度内部价值出发探究引起诉讼时效制度在实践中出现这些问题的的根本原因与直接原因,进而为完善诉讼时效制度探寻出适合的价值面向。首先,针对诉讼时效制度的构建基础,我们可以从制度的本质及价值基础去探寻。制度的本质是习惯和规则,而其他特征不过是制度的派生物。习惯是由历史驱动的,规则与其不同,规则是人们自己制定和选择的。有效的制度安排和制度变迁是经济增长的基础,此外,制度还具有提高政府管理的规范化和效率化的价值。制度具有道德教化的价值,集体道德需要制度的引导。由制度价值的分析方式我们可以发现诉讼时效制度作为制度本身的价值,以及其作为工具,人们期望它在运行过程中所发挥的价值。诉讼时效制度作为一种法律制度它具有促进经济增长、提高社会管理和规范效率以及集体道德教化的功能。但是学界对诉讼时效制度价值的讨论集中于期望其在运行过程中所发挥的价值。学界归纳的诉讼时效制度的价值基础一般包括督促权利人及时行使权利、提高法院处理案件效率、节约司法成本、稳定社会关系和保护第三人信赖利益等等。总结概括其实可以定义为三类,即公平价值、效率价值以及秩序价值。而当前阶段,诉讼时效制度最突出的矛盾是公平价值与效率价值。法律制度的效率价值包括立法、司法、执法活动中的运行效率,也包括对整个市场经济和社会资源配置的效率。其本质就是实现法律资源和社会资源配置的最优均衡状态,最大限度增加社会财富。从法理学视角说明法律制度的公平价值就是可以衡量法律制度优劣的标尺,是人们守法的道德基础,是合理和谐的社会关系和行为规范,是法律制度得以完善的导向。诉讼时效制度公平价值与效率价值的冲突在司法实践中的映射,主要表现为法官在认定诉讼时效期间是否届满时,偏向于权利人,降低权利人的证明标准;未约定履行期限的合同起算标准设置不合理,导致只要权利人不履行权利,那意味着诉讼时效一直不会进行起算,这与我国诉讼时效制度督促权利人及时行使权利的价值基础,以及效率价值的制度目的是相悖的;司法实践中为了实现效率价值,将未登记动产物权的返还请求权适用诉讼时效制度,进而可能引发权利真空问题,严重损害社会公共利益;《关于审理民事案件适用诉讼时效制度若干问题的规定》第四条规定在司法实践中适用不到位。而这些问题出现的直接原因有:诉讼时效制度本身与我国传统观念相冲突;诉讼时效期间过短使得司法实践中出现优先保护权利人的理念;法官在优先保护权利人的理念下,进而降低了权利人举证责任标准。诉讼时效制度在司法实践中的这些问题,会带来一系列的连锁不良反应。首先是对执行制度的影响,执行时效被认为是诉讼时效的一种,诉讼时效制度以效率价值为导向会使得执行时效面临着并继续面临着“短期化”模式,这不利于解决我国执行难的问题。其次,会导致诉讼时效制度内部价值的不融贯以及诉讼时效根据的逻辑混乱。为了解决这些问题,笔者认为当前的诉讼时效制度内部设计可以以公平价值为导向。在公平价值导向下完善诉讼时效制度的内部设计,如延长诉讼时效期间,完善诉讼时效的起算标准以及诉讼时制度中止、中断事由等,进而使得诉讼时效制度理论与实践更加融贯,使得文本与行动的堕距缩短。更多还原

【Abstract】 Although the statute of limitations system has been introduced into our country for a long time,there are still some problems that need to be resolved in theory and judicial practice.Since the "General Principles of Civil Law" extended the period of limitation of actions to three years,the academic circles have increasingly discussed the limitation of actions system,which to a certain extent also shows that the legal status of the limitation of actions system has increased significantly,From the internal value of the system,the author explores the root and direct causes of these problems in the practice of the limitation of action system.In order to improve the statute of limitations system,we will find a suitable value orientation.First of all,we can explore the foundation of the statute of limitations system from the nature and value foundation of the system.The essence of the system is habits and rules,while other characteristics are just derivatives of the system.Habits are driven by history.Unlike rules,rules are made and chosen by people themselves.Effective institutional arrangements and institutional changes are the foundation of economic growth.In addition,institutions also have the value of improving the standardization and efficiency of government management.The system has the value of moral education,and collective morality needs the guidance of the system.From the analysis of system value,we can discover the value of the statute of limitations system as the system itself,as well as the value that people expect it to play in the course of its operation.As a legal system,the statute of limitations system has the functions of promoting economic growth,improving the efficiency of social management and norms,and enlightening collective morality.However,the academic circles’ discussion on the value of the statute of limitations system focuses on the value expected to be played in the course of its operation.The value basis of the statute of limitations system summarized by academic circles generally includes urging right holders to exercise their rights in a timely manner,improving the efficiency of court handling cases,saving judicial costs,stabilizing social relations,and protecting the trust interests of third parties.The summary can actually be defined as three categories,namely fair value,efficiency value and order value.At the current stage,the most prominent contradiction in the statute of limitations system is fair value and efficiency value.The efficiency value of the legal system includes the operational efficiency in legislative,judicial,and law enforcement activities,as well as the efficiency of the overall market economy and social resource allocation.Its essence is to realize the optimal equilibrium state of the allocation of legal resources and social resources,and maximize social wealth.From the perspective of jurisprudence,the fair value of a legal system is a yardstick that can measure the pros and cons of a legal system,is the moral basis for people to abide by the law,is a reasonable and harmonious social relationship and code of conduct,and is the guide for the improvement of the legal system.The reflection of the conflict between the fair value and the efficiency value of the statute of limitations system in judicial practice is mainly manifested in the fact that when judges determine whether the statute of limitations has expired,they tend to favor the right holder and lower the proof standard of the right holder;starting from the contract for which the performance period has not been agreed The standard leads to that as long as the right holder does not perform the right,it means that the statute of limitations will not be calculated.This is contrary to the value basis of the statute of limitations system in our country to promote the timely exercise of rights by the right holder,and the system purpose of the efficiency value;in judicial practice,The efficiency value applies the statute of limitations system to the right to request the return of unregistered movable property rights,which may cause a vacuum of rights and seriously damage the public interest;Article 4 of the "Regulations on Several Issues Concerning the Application of the Statute of Limitation System in the Trial of Civil Cases" stipulates in the judicial system The application is not in place in practice.The direct cause of these problems is the conflict between the statute of limitations system itself and my country’s traditional concepts.The short statute of limitations has led to the idea of prioritizing the protection of right holders in judicial practice.The judge’s notion of giving priority to the protection of right holders reduces creditors’ proofs.Responsibility standards.These problems will cause some chain reactions.The first is the impact on the enforcement system.The statute of limitations is considered to be a kind of statute of limitations.The efficiency value-oriented statute of limitations system will make the statute of limitations face and continue to face a"short-term"model,which is not conducive to solving the difficulty of my country’s enforcement.problem.Second,it will lead to the incoherence of the internal value of the statute of limitations system and the logical confusion of the basis of the statute of limitations.In order to solve these problems,the author believes that the current internal design of the statute of limitations system can be guided by fair value.Improve the internal design of the statute of limitations system under the guidance of fair value,such as extending the statute of limitations period,improving the starting standard of the statute of limitations,and the reasons for the suspension and interruption of the statute of limitations,so as to make the theory and practice of the statute of limitations system more consistent and make the text The distance to action is shortened.更多还原