在我国司法实践中,人民法院遇到疑难、复杂、重大的案件时,习惯于向上级法院请示,以获得上级法院有关此案的处理态度。虽然案件请示制度饱受诟病,但是仍然在法院内存在。法律经济学理论可以解释该制度在法院系统内长期存续的原因。通过成本—收益分析,认为上下级法院在案件请示制度下存在既得利益者,如果要废除该项制度,必然会遇到很大的阻力和困难。 In our country’s judicial practice, people’s courts, when confronted with difficult, complicated and serious cases, are accustomed to seeking instructions from the higher courts in order to obtain the handling attitude of the higher courts concerning the case. Although the system of case petitions is highly criticized, it still exists in court. The theory of legal economics can explain why the system lasts long within the court system. Through cost-benefit analysis, it is considered that superior and subordinate courts have vested interests under the system of asking for cases. If the system is to be abolished, there are bound to be great obstacles and difficulties.