老年人犯罪轻刑化之现实可能性

Study on the Lighter Punishment of Crimes Committed by the Elderly

老年人实施犯罪行为是自身特性、家庭条件、社会环境等多方面的因素共同导致的,有其特殊性,这也决定了对老年犯实施刑事制裁时理应做出特别考量。对老年犯予以从轻处罚符合老年人刑事责任能力弱化的特点,符合刑法谦抑性的要求,有利于实现刑罚特殊预防和一般预防的目的。现有针对老年犯从宽处罚的规定存在着年龄界限过高、减刑和假释适用条件过严、死刑未完全废除等问题。应降低老年犯从宽处罚的年龄界限,放宽减刑和假释适用标准,合理年龄界限内废除死刑,以期使老年犯在文明社会中得到人性关照。

Elderly people s criminal behavior is caused by their own characteristics,family conditions,social environment and other factors,has its particularity,which also determines that the provision of criminal sanctions against elderly people should have special consideration.It is in line with the characteristics of weakening the ability of the elderly to bear criminal responsibility and the requirements of modesty and restraint of the criminal law to give a lighter punishment to the elderly offenders,which is conducive to the realization of the purpose of special prevention and general prevention of criminal punishment.The existing provisions on lenient punishment for elderly offenders include too high age limit,too strict application conditions for commutation and parole,and incomplete abolition of the death penalty.We should lower the age limit of lenient punishment for the elderly offenders,relax the applicable standards of commutation and parole,and abolish the death penalty within the reasonable age limit,so that the elderly can get more human care in the civilized society.