消费民事公益诉讼中惩罚性赔偿的规范化适用研究——从广东省消费者委员会的惩罚性赔偿系列公益案件出发

Research on the Standardized Application of Punitive Damages in Consumer Civil Public Interest Litigation :Starting from a Series of PublicInterest Cases of Punitive Compensation of the Consumers’Committee of Guangdong Province

广东省消费者委员会的惩罚性赔偿系列公益案件是司法实践中对消费民事公益诉讼立法、司法解释尚未规定的损害赔偿之诉的突破性尝试。总结该系列公益案件的实践经验表明,惩罚性赔偿责任确有必要适用于公益诉讼。然而,立法的缺位也引发司法实践中对惩罚性赔偿责任规范化适用的诸多困惑。从法理基础、功能定位、发展方向三个角度可论证惩罚性赔偿责任应用于消费民事公益诉讼的可行性与必要性。应当继续修正惩罚性赔偿责任中与消费民事公益诉讼基本理念相背离的规则,明确消费民事公益诉讼中适用惩罚性赔偿责任的前提条件、确定惩罚性赔偿金额的计算标准、促进惩罚性赔偿金实施方式的公益化。消费民事公益诉讼中惩罚性赔偿的规范化适用研究为完善民事公益诉讼制度,进一步强化消费民事公益诉讼程序效益提供重要参考。

The series of public interestpunitive damagescases of the Consumers’Committee of Guangdong Provinceis a breakthrough attempt in the judicial practice of consumer civil public interest litigations,which has not yet been stipulated in the legislation and judicial interpretation.Summing up the practical experience of this series of public welfare cases,it shows that punitive liability is indeed applicable to public welfare litigation.However,the absence of legislation also leads to a lot of confusion about the standardization of punitive liability in judicial practice.The feasibility and necessity of the application of punitive liability in consumer civil public interest litigation can be demonstrated from the perspective of legal basis,function orientation and development direction.We should continue to amend the rules of punitive damages which deviate from the basic concept of consumer civil public interest litigation,clarify the preconditions of the application of punitive damages in consumer civil public interest litigation,determine the calculation standard of punitive damages,and promote the public welfare of the implementation of punitive damages.The research on the standardized application of punitive damages in consumer civil public interest litigation provides an important reference for improving the civil public interest litigation system and further strengthening the procedural benefits of consumer civil public interest litigation.