適用認罪認罰從寬首先是政策,然后才是制度,其適用范圍涉及偵查、審查起訴、審判乃至行刑等各個刑事訴訟階段。認罪認罰本質上是表達道歉的過程,其內涵符合道歉理論的意指。認罪包括犯罪嫌疑人、被告人承認且詳盡地陳述實施違反刑法規范行為的過程,對違反刑法規范行為及其造成的結果予以解釋和賠償,并承諾不再犯罪。認罰包括行為人接受和認可認罪帶來的后果及對被害人及其家屬的補償兩個方面。從寬包括適用較輕的刑事強制措施、適用從簡的訴訟程序、從程序上提前終結訴訟及實體上從寬處理。

Imposing lenient punishments on those confessing their crimes and accepting punishments in criminal cases can be treated first as a criminal policy,and then as a system which is applicable to all criminal procedures,including investigation,examination and prosecution,trial and execution. The process of confessing their crimes and accepting punishments is the process of expressing apology,which reveals the connotations of confessing crimes and accepting punishments in the theory of apology. Confessing their crimes include the following: they should make a confession of their crimes,state clearly the process of their violations,and promise not to commit any crime again. Accepting punishment include their acceptance of the bad results of the crime and give compensations for the victims and their families. The lenient punishments include lighter criminal compulsory measures,simplified procedures of investigation,prosecution and judgment,the end of the legal procedure in advance or a more lenient sentence.