预防风险原则为基础的应对新冠肺炎疫情的立法

COVID-19 Legislation in the Light of the Precautionary Principle

本文从普遍性视角研究了预防风险原则(precautionary principle)对应对新冠肺炎传播立法和管理的影响。学术界通常在环境保护政策中提到预防风险原则。然而,当下的预防风险原则已经适用于保障卫生健康领域,这也意味着可以适用到应对疫情的扩散。尽管预防风险原则与法治原则所要求的循证立法(evidence-based legislation)义务相冲突,但是该原则不能为极端性和任意性侵害公民自由权提供可证性的理由。预防风险原则也不能取代比例原则的地位。因此,即使允许立法者在缺乏确切的科学共识时限制个人权利,但是合理适用预防风险原则也是对应对风险立法的限制。回顾和反思预防风险原则所带来的科学争议有助于维持(或至少恢复)理性和应对紧急状态立法中的谨慎权衡风险利弊。

This paper examines in general terms the impact of the precautionary principle on COVID-19 legislation and management.In academic discussion the precautionary principle is usually referred to in the context of environmental policy.The principle can also be found,however,in health protection,which suggests its transfer to the pandemic situation.Contrary to the concern that the principle could serve as a blanket justification for extreme and arbitrary interventions in civil liberties,the paper demonstrates that,notwithstanding conflicts with the rule-of-law obligation to evidence-based legislation,the precautionary principle does not supplant the principle of proportionality.Thus,it sets limits to risk-related legislation even though it allows restrictions in the absence of scientific consensus.Reflecting on the scientific debate about the precautionary principle can help to maintain(or at least restore)rationality and prudent risk tradeoffs even in times of emergency legislation.