论“消费者过度维权”中的敲诈勒索罪

On the Crime of Extortion in"Excessive Rights Protection of Consumers"

伴随公民权利意识的提高,敲诈勒索罪在消费者过度维权行为中是否存在适用空间以及二者的界限问题在理论与实务界引起广泛争论。矛盾焦点有二:一是“天价索赔”行为与认定非法占有目的的关联性问题;二是“以检举、曝光相威胁”行为与认定敲诈勒索罪中胁迫行为的关联性问题。对此应综合考量消费者维权行为是否具备法律依据与事实依据、其行为目的是否具有合法性与正当性,以及其维权手段是否具备合理性与必要性。在平衡法益保护与刑法谦抑性原则的基础上,一方面,正视敲诈勒索罪在消费者过度维权行为中适用的可能性;另一方面,谨慎审查消费者行权基础以及胁迫内容与行为目的的直接关联性,重视过度维权行为入罪的严格限制,细化过度维权行为与敲诈勒索罪的界分。

With the increase in the awareness of civil rights,whether there is applicable space for the crime of extortion in excessive consumer rights protection and the boundary between the two have caused widespread controversy in the theoretical and practical circles.There are two focal points of contradiction:one is the relationship between the act of"claiming for high-value compensation"and the determination of the purpose of illegal possession;the other is the relationship between the behavior of"threat by reporting or exposure"and the coercive behavior in the crime of extortion.In this regard,it is necessary to comprehensively consider whether consumers'rights protection actions have the legal and factual basis,whether their behavioral purposes are legitimate and rational,and whether their rights protection methods are reasonable and necessary.On the basis of balancing the protection of legal interests and the modesty principle of criminal law,on the one hand,we should face up to the possibility that some consumers'excessive rights protection actions violate the crime of extortion;on the other hand,carefully review the basis for consumers to exercise their rights and the direct correlation between the content of the coercion and the purpose of the behavior,attach importance to strict restrictions on criminalization of excessive rights protection,and refining the distinction between excessive rights protection and extortion.