被指称“失误”的抗疫行为的国家责任问题:适用特别法框架还是一般法框架?

To Deal with a New Coronavirus Pandemic:Making Sense of the Lack of Any State Practice in Pursuing State Responsibility for Alleged Malfeasances in a Pandemic-Lex Specialis or Lex Generalis at Work?

就被指称“失误”的抗疫行为追究国家责任的国家实践迄今尚属空白。那么,这一空白对有关追究这方面国家责任的适用法框架有何影响?全球公共卫生背景下,我们可以怎样理解它?一种思路是认为这个空白反映了特别法(lex specialis)即国家对被指称“失误”的抗疫行为不负有责任。另一种思路是认为这个空白反映了各国的评估:即使根据一般法(lex generalis)并未排除潜在国家责任,亦无成功机会或成功机会甚微。前一思路似乎在漫长的抗疫历史长河中与追究国家责任的实践情景更为吻合。如果能有一个更好的情势,则须由各国去探求并在未来加以实现。

There has never been any State practice in pursuing State responsibility for alleged malfeasances in pandemics.What effect does this absence of practice have on the framework of applicable law regarding this pursuit of State responsibility?How can we make sense of this absence in the context of global public health?One way would be to see the absence as reflecting a lex specialis providing for no State responsibility for any alleged malfeasances;another as reflecting States’assessment that there is no or slight chance of success even under a lex generalis not excluding potential responsibility.The former appears more consonant with the uniform lack of practice in pursuing State responsibility over the long course of history of dealing with pandemics.If there can be a better state of affairs,it will be up to States to search for it and to bring it to fruition in the future.