消费民事公益诉讼惩罚性赔偿司法适用研究

Research on the Judicial Application of Punitive Damages in Consumer Civil Public Interest Litigation

我国立法和司法解释虽然确立了惩罚性赔偿制度,但未明确在消费民事公益诉讼中能否提起惩罚性赔偿请求。在消费民事公益诉讼司法实践中对于能否提起惩罚性赔偿金处于混乱状态,既有支持者也有不支持者。作为维护公共利益的消费民事公益诉讼应当允许提出惩罚性赔偿诉讼请求。对于这一赔偿损失在计算时应将之前的行政处罚、刑事罚金与之折抵或扣除。惩罚性赔偿金应以3倍为宜,检察机关或法院可以根据案情对过高的赔偿金酌情减少。惩罚性赔偿金计算基数应以生产者或经营者所获非法利益为准。法院判决的赔偿金可交给专门成立的基金会管理,由消费者协会具体使用,由检察机关予以监管。

Although China’s legislation and judicial interpretation has established the system of punitive damages,it is not clear whether punitive damages can be claimed in consumer civil public interest litigation.In the judicial practice of consumer civil public interest litigation whether punitive damages can be claimed is in a state of confusion,there are supporters and opponents.As the protection of public interest,consumer civil public interest litigation should allow the claim for punitive damages.For this compensation the previous administrativeand criminal fines should be offset or deducted in calculatingthe compensation amount.The punitive damages should be three times as much,and the prosecution or the court can reduce the excessive damages according to the circumstances.The punitive damages calculation base shall be the illegal benefits obtained by the producer or operator.The compensation awarded by the court may be managed by a specially established foundation,used by the consumer association and supervised by the procuratorial organs.