第1解

absolute defence

【英文】In law，an absolute defence is a factual circumstance or argument that，if proven，will end the litigation in favor of the defendant.The concept of an absolute defence is not a rigid one.Statutes frequently use the term merely as a synonym to “full” or “complete”.It is more often used，however，as a term of art in both criminal and civil law to refer to an underlying set of facts and laws，not raised by the complaint or indictment，which will require the defendant’s dismissal even if the factual allegations of the complaining pleading are true.

【譯文】法律上，絕對抗辯屬于某一真實情況或論點，其一旦得到證實，有利于被告的訴訟便會結束。絕對抗辯之概念并非是一成不變的。制定法在使用該術語時常常僅將其當作“充分抗辯”或“完全抗辯”的同義詞。然而，該術語在刑法和民法上常常被當作專業術語來使用，其指的是一整套基本事實和法律，但此類事實和法律在民事訴狀和刑事起訴書里并不提及，而要求被告拒絕承認此類事實和法律，即便訴狀或起訴書里答辯的事實陳述是真實的。

【解釋】absolute defence可譯為“絕對抗辯”，與之緊密聯系的complete defence可譯為“無責抗辯”或“絕對抗辯”。

再如：

1.Another characteristic of an absolute defence is that，once it is pled and proven，it is not subject to mitigation or collateral attack.〔譯文：絕對抗辯之另一個特點是，一旦得到引證和證明，便不再受減刑或擔保制約。〕

2.Use of the word “absolute” sometimes causes confusion，because even in the law “absolute” is sometimes used simply as a synonym for “full” or “complete”. As a term or art，however，there are many complete defenses which are not customarily called absolute.Most notably，innocence，while a complete defence to a criminal charge，is not generally termed “absolute”，because it involves a material fact of the pleading.On the other hand，double jeopardy is more likely to be termed an absolute defence；an indictment（or other criminal initiating pleading）does not have to state that the defendant has not previously been tried on the crime，but once a defendant shows that he has been previously tried for a crime，his dismissal is required by the US Constitution.〔譯文：“絕對”一詞的使用有時會引起混淆，因為即便在法律上“絕對”有時也僅簡單地被當作“充分”或“完全”的同義詞來使用。但是作為專業術語，有很多“完全”抗辯習慣上并非稱為“絕對”抗辯。顯而易見的是，雖然“無辜”可以作為刑事指控的完全抗辯，但“無辜”通常并不成為“絕對”抗辯，因其涉及答辯狀中的實質性事實。而另一方面，雙重審理更有可能稱為絕對抗辯。刑事起訴書（或其他提起刑事指控的答辯狀）并不需要表明被告曾因同一罪行而受到審判，但一旦被告表明他曾因某一罪行而受到審判，要駁回其抗辯則需要以美國聯邦憲法為依據。〕

3.Both an absolute defence and a complete defence must be distinguished from a partial defence.With a partial defence，the litigant hopes to mitigate the outcome of the litigation，or limit culpability，but the liability is not eliminated.Examples include diminished capacity to understand the wrongfulness of the action，or a mistake of fact that affected the intention of the litigant.〔譯文：必須把絕對抗辯和完全抗辯與部分抗辯區別開來。部分抗辯的情況下，訴訟當事人希望減輕訴訟的結果或者限制其有罪行為，但不能免除法律責任。此類情況有：對犯罪行為之過錯性的理解能力降低，或者對影響訴訟者意圖的事實產生了誤解。〕

4.A complete defense to murder is where the police fail to prove one or more of the elements of the offence.〔譯文：當警方無法證明謀殺罪之一項或多項要件時便構成對謀殺罪的完全抗辯。〕