法律的（基本）原则 principles of law

指不能为个别或具体的法律规则所涵盖，而在司法判决中作为司法推理的权威性起点的一般性原则。法律的基本原则，按照传统的法理解释，往往是法官在个案规则的基础上或法律学者著作基础上运用归纳法总结而成。但是当代的知识论已经批驳了这种机械经验主义的谬见。与具体的法律规则相比，法律原则更为抽像、粗泛，因而适用起来更为灵活，原则与原则之间也会出现冲突，这时候需诉诸更为抽像和广泛的原则。法律原则〔a principle of law〕与法律信条〔doctrine of law〕(亦可译作「法律原则」)的区别更多体现在语义、语汇的不同选择上，而并不存在逻辑或法律基础的差异，因而往往也互为易用。

General principles of law are basic rules whose content is very general and abstract, sometimes reducible to a maxim or a simple concept. Unlike other types of rules such as enacted law or agreements, general principles of law have not been “posited” according to the formal sources of law. Yet, general principles of law are considered to be part of positive law, even if they are only used as subsidiary tools. They constitute necessary rules for the very functioning of the system and, as such, are inducted from the legal reasoning of those entitled to take legal decisions in the process of applying the law, notably the judiciary. They also constitute integrative tools of the system as they fill actual or potential legal gaps. In international law, general principles of law have been the object of much doctrinal debate based on the different meanings attributed to the notion and the theoretical problems that they pose. Much confusion derives from the use of the expression “fundamental principles of international law” that is at the top of the legal system and originates in treaty or custom (e.g., the principle of sovereign equality of states or the principle of the prohibition of the threat or the use of force) and that will not be dealt with here. 例句如下：

例句1

The judiciary has also developed a number of general principles of law, such as audiatur et altera pars, actori incumbit onus probandi, or the fact that the judge of merits is also judge of the incidental jurisdiction. However, they are also logic inferences that are related to particular areas of international law, giving room for the emergence of general principles specifically applicable in the realm of international law, for example the principle of humanity in international humanitarian law.

司法机构还发展了一些一般法律的（基本）原则，如兼听则明、现任举证责任或案情法官也是附带管辖权法官的事实。然而，它们也是与国际法特定领域相关的逻辑推论，为出现具体适用于国际法领域的一般原则，例如国际人道主义法中的人道原则，提供了空间。

例句2

General principles of law are legal norms existing among the majority of nations. Enduring examples of general principles of law, typically followed in most jurisdictions, are the doctrines of good faith, estoppel, and equity. Researching general principles often requires taking a deeper look into the domestic laws of the nation or region you are interested in.

一般法律的（基本）原则是存在于大多数国家的法律规范。大多数司法管辖区通常遵循的一般法律的（基本）原则的持久范例是诚信原则、禁止反言原则和衡平法原则。研究一般原则通常需要深入了解你感兴趣的国家或地区的国内法。

例句3

These general principles of law can be found in decisions of international tribunals and national courts; references to them may also be found in the teachings of the “most highly qualified publicists” (i.e., eminent international law scholars). In fact, Article 38 includes judicial decisions (of both international and municipal tribunals) and scholarly writings as “subsidiary means for the determination of rules of law;” in other words, these are not authorities, rather they are evidence of the sources of international law.

这些一般法律的（基本）原则可以在国际法庭和国家法院的裁决中找到；在“最优秀的国际法学者”（即杰出的国际法学者）的教导中也可以找到对它们的参考。事实上，第三十八条包括（国际和国内法庭的）司法判决和学术著作，作为“确定法律规则的辅助手段；”换句话说，这些不是权威，而是国际法来源的证据。

例句4

Examples of these general principles of law are laches, good faith, res judicata, and the impartiality of judges. International tribunals rely on these principles when they cannot find authority in other sources of international law.

这些一般法律的（基本）原则的例子有懈怠原则、诚信原则、既判力原则和法官的公正性原则。当国际法庭在其他国际法来源中找不到权威时，它们依赖这些原则。