对宪法性质及相关问题的重新思考

本文讨论了宪法的性质、内容和效力阶位等涉及宪法本质特征的一系列问题。认为 ,宪法不是母法 ,而是关于国家政治生活准则的部门法 ,在本质上是一种政治契约 ;有关国家权力的来源与性质、配置与运作、制约与监督等问题是一个国家宪法的核心内容 ,而关于发展经济、教育、科学技术、文化艺术、思想教育、计划生育、环境保护等问题不是宪法应有的内容 ;宪法虽然作为一种政治契约 ,应当是一个国家的根本大法 ,但根据本文提出的“对外承诺对内具有约束力”的原则及其相关规则 ,宪法实际上的效力阶位从制定机关的角度看 ,则取决于其在一个国家整个权力结构体系中的级别 ,因而我国宪法与全国人大制定的基本法律实际上处于同一效力阶位 ,而要使它成为效力最高的法律 ,就有必要进行立宪体制上的创新。

Reflection on the Nature of Constitution and Related Questions

Through a discussion about a series of questions involved in the intrinsic character of constitution, some new ideas can be advanced that a constitution, as a political contract in its essence, is not a mother law but a divisional law concerning the norms of state's political life, and therefore, the main contents of a well qualified constitution should include such matters as the source, nature, institution, performance, check and balance, etc. of state power, but not unnecessary issues like development of economy, education, science and technology, culture and arts, as well as family-planning, environments protection, etc.; in the meantime, Based on the principle proposed here: "the promise made to others has legal force to bind oneself and his/her constituents", the legal authority of a constitution is determined by the status of constitutional legislature among the whole structure of state power, and consequently the constitution of China, although the fundamental law in its name, enjoy the same status with the law made by national people's congress on the sense of legal principle. So, for the top status of its legal force, it is necessary to reform the system of China's constitutional legislature.