终身监禁刑的宪法学反思——以比例原则为分析视角

A Constitutional Reflection on "Life Imprisonment Penalty" from the Perspective of the Principle of Proportion

《刑法修正案(九)》增设重贪犯终身监禁刑,是刑事政策指导刑事立法的具体表现,亦是国家刑罚权对犯罪人人身自由的根本性剥夺。国家公权力对公民基本权利的限制是宪法学的重要研究课题,以约束公权力为目标的比例原则被视为公法领域的"帝王条款"。基于此,文章认为对终身监禁刑的宪法学反思可借助比例原则进行严格审查,从适当性、必要性、比例性原则逐层对其予以合宪性评价,充分发挥宪法原理对刑法的基础性调控,从而促进宪法与刑法的知识体系对话,有助于构建有效互动、循环诠释的整体法秩序。

The Ninth Amendment to the Criminal Law added the penalty of life imprisonment for serious corruption offenders,a specific indication that criminal policy directs criminal legislation,and a penalty whereby the state punishment power totally deprives the criminals of their personal freedom.The limitation of public power to citizen's basic rights is an important research subject of constitutional science.The principle of proportion aimed at restricting public power is considered as ' king article' in the field of public law.Therefore,the constitutional reflection on the penalty of life imprisonment can be done on the principle of proportion to strictly examine whether it is constitutional from the principle of appropriateness,necessity and proportion,a fully play be given to constitutional principles in basic regulation of criminal law so as to promote the dialogue between constitution and criminal law,and help in construction of an effectively interactive,circularly interpretative integral law order.