內容摘要：法國大革命之後，「罪刑法定主義」成為現代刑事法律體系的主要原則，影響所及，不僅保障人民的人身自由權，更在制度的層面上，將社會刑罰權從專制君主手中解放出來。而專制王朝時期所盛行的酷刑，也隨之消失、轉化成為各種不同的監督與規訓機制，普遍的散佈在社會生活的各個角落。福科觀察到這是一個全景敞視(panoptical model)的社會控制模式，藉由規訓與監督的機制，現代社會成為透明、人民馴服毫無反抗意識。在臺灣的刑事法制發展歷程中，受到黨國威權體制強力的干預，憲法所規定的人身自由名不符實，一切憲法所賦予的權利與政制都在政治安定的意識型態下被封存、冷藏。直到一九九七年到二○○三年之間的一系列密集的刑事法制修法行動，不僅反映了一九八七年解嚴後十年臺灣社會所投射的累積能量，也使得過去以安定為主的政治原則轉向以人權導向的立法趨勢。但是，政治權力的退出法律並不表示社會的刑罰權相對地消失。而是，藉由社會刑罰以遂行統治方便性的時機已然過去，屬於社會刑罰權的行使必須嚴格的遵照法律規定來實現，將法律的目的與道德的目的、政治功利目的分。過去以粗糙、遊走在法律邊緣的方式來論斷人身自由的方式，必須轉向更為具體、細膩、甚至於更必須要在刑期無刑的原則下重新思考社會刑罰權的行使。

　　　　　Abstract: From the French Revolution of 1789, the Latin's legal proverb of "nullm crimen sinelege, nulla poena sine lege" was actualized in modern legal system. What it influenced was not just the protection of personal liberties, but also the emancipation of legal system from the reign of despotic emperor. Once the principle became the index of modern legal system, the power of cruel punishment soon transformed into different phases of surveillance and discipline in every corner of social life. Foucault observed that it was the panoptical model which made modern society transparent and easy to control without any consciousness of resistance.ln the case of Taiwan, the development of modern legal system encountered the strong intervention of political forces. Under the rule of party-state, the actualization of Habeas Corpus was unworthy of the name of title. The stability of political regime is the highest ruling principle and Martial law dominated all legal judgments, especially for criminal cases. After a series of legal amendments during the period from 1997 to 2003, the stability-dominated principle was replaced by the freedom-dominated principle and became the main subject of legal amendment in legislation.