司法保障经济和社会权利的可能性与限度——南非宪法法院格鲁特布姆案评析

The Role of Court in Protecting Economic and Social Rights: A Commentary on GrootboomCase in South Africa

对经济和社会权利具有可诉性的怀疑论在人权领域内曾经长期占据主导地位,但学术界从理论上已经为证明经济和社会权利具有可诉性做出了许多努力,而南非宪法法院对格鲁特布姆(Gro-otboom)案的判决则第一次在实践上对这个问题做出了正面解答:它确认经济和社会权利的主体具有“合理的政策请求权”,并且确立了对经济和社会权利进行司法审查的“合理性原则”。格鲁特布姆案对于全面认识经济和社会权利的可诉性问题具有极为重要的理论和实践意义。

Skepticism on the justiciability of economic and social rights has long been prevailing in the human rights area. Nevertheless, great efforts have been made to demonstrate that economic and social rights can be made justiciable. The decision on Grootboom case, which was rendered by the Constitutional Court of South Africa, indicates for the first time in practice how economic and social rights can be made justiciable to a large extent by empowering rights holders with ＂reasonable policy entitlements＂ and adopting the ＂doctrine of reasonability＂ as a standard of judicial review.