美国环境刑事责任制度及其对中国的启示

On U.S. Environmental Criminal Liability System and its Enlightenment to China

美国的主要环境法律将环境犯罪规定为"重罪",罚金刑可以按日计罚,累犯的监禁和罚金都加倍处罚,并特别注重对"虚假陈述"犯罪的制裁。司法部和联邦环保署成立了专门的部门来追究环境犯罪。在司法实践中,法院依据"负责任的公司管理人员原则"追究公司管理人员的刑事责任。中国可以借鉴美国的做法,提升环境犯罪的最高法定刑,明确罚金可以按日计罚,在环境保护部门和公安机关中建立专门的环境犯罪调查机构,加强对单位及其负责人的环境刑事责任的追究力度,将环境信息造假的行为全面入刑,实行认罪认罚从宽制度以减少刑事执法的成本。

The major environmental l a w s of the U n i t e d States criminalize e n v i r o n m e n t a l offenses as ＂ f elony＂. T h e fine penalty can be punished on a daily b a s i s. The maximum p u n i s h m e n t shall b e d o u b l e d w i t h respect to b o t h fine and imprisonment for recidivism w i t h particular e m p h a s i s o n the p u n i s h m e n t of ＂false s t a t e m e n t＂. T h e D e p a r t-ment of Justice and the EPA have set up a special division to p u r s u e e n v i r o n m e n t a l c r i m e. I n the judicial p r a c-tice, the courts hold the company officerrs c r i minal liability a c c o r d i n g to ＂the responsible c o rporate officer d o c-trine＂. China can borrow its practice to enhance the maximum legal pen a l t y for e n v i r o n m e n t a l c r i m e; exert the fine penalty on a daily basis; establish a special e n v i r o n m e n t a l c r i m e investigation division in the e n v i r o n m e n t a l protection departments and p u b l i c security o r g a n s; streng t h e n the pursuit of unit a n d its officer＇s e n v i r o n m e n t a l criminal liability; criminalize the overall e n v i r o n m e n t a l i n f o rmation f r a u d a c t s; i m p l e m e n t the p l e a d guilty leni-ency system so as to reduce t he cost of e n v i r o n m e n t a l criminal e n f o r c e m e n t.