刑事再审案件适用“行为时的法律”的反思 兼论最高人民法院法释[1997]5号第10条的完善

Reflections on the Application of"Law at the Time of Behavior"in Criminal Retrial Cases Improving Article 10 of Legal Interpretation No.5 of the Supreme People's Court(1997)

最高人民法院法释[1997]5号第10条规定,按照审判监督程序重新审判的案件,“适用行为时的法律”。但对于新法除罪化或趋轻变动的,如果绝对禁止有利溯及可能明显不合时宜或量刑过重。为此,有必要针对新法变化的情形,类型化地建构具体运用规则,被告人不得仅以新法处罚轻缓为由从再审中获利;原来的判决明显不合理的,在特殊情况下,人民法院根据新的司法解释主动通过再审允许有利溯及既往,并不会抵触罪刑法定原则;对于所有再审时新法趋轻变动的案件,虽可适用行为时法定罪,但在量刑时考虑新法除罪化或处罚轻的取向,原则上不加重被告人的刑罚,《刑法》第63条第2款的特殊减轻制度可以作为相关的规范依据。这一意义上的“相对有利溯及论”能够平衡法的安定性和实质正义之间的紧张关系,可以防止被告人遭受多重不利,降低法院主动或轻易地启动明显不利于被告人的再审的冲动。未来应当考虑对最高人民法院法释[1997]5号第10条的规定作出必要修改。

The Supreme People's Court Interpretation(1997)No.5,in its Article 10,states that cases retried under the supervision procedure should"apply the law in force at the time of the act".However,for changes in the new law that decriminalize or lighten penalties,it is necessary to establish specific application rules for these changes.Defendants should not benefit from lighter penalties under the new law just for that reason.In special cases,courts can allow favorable retrospective application based on new judicial interpretations without violating the principle of legality.For cases with lighter penalties under the new law,while the law in force at the time of the act applies,sentencing should consider the new law's direction,and the special mitigation system under Criminal Law Article 63,Clause 2,can be a normative basis.This"relative favorability retrospective theory"balances legal stability and justice,preventing defendants from suffering multiple disadvantages and reducing courts'impulse to initiate retrials that are clearly unfavorable to defendants.Future modifications to this provision should be considered.