论不定额罚金制:从立法建构到司法适用

On the Provision of Unquantified Fines: From Legislative Construction to Judicial Application

不定额罚金制在我国刑法中始终存在,并且在晚近刑法修正中呈现扩大适用趋势,这与学界一直以来的批判态度形成鲜明对立。立法取消罚金数额标准具有加大经济处罚力度的考量,但司法适用中的罚金刑裁量却因缺乏参考线而陷入盲区。事实上,不定额罚金制由立法与司法共同实现明确性,符合罪刑法定原则的要求。作为一项以经济制裁为内容的刑罚,不定额制在个案中的具体罚金数额以责任报应为限制,较之定额制更益于达致罪刑均衡、有效预防犯罪。针对罚金刑裁量的现实困境,司法机关可以参照涉案金额或自由刑的刑期确定责任刑,将犯罪人的经济状况作为预防刑情节,通过发布司法解释和指导性案例的方式统一法律适用标准,从而实现不定额罚金制的规范化量刑。

Unquantified fines have always existed in China’s criminal law,and their application has been expanding in recent amendments,sharply contrasting with the critical stance of scholars.Although the legislation abolishes the standard for fines in order to increase economic punishment,the judicial application of fines remains in a blind spot due to the lack of guidelines.In fact,unquantified fines that require legislation and judicature to cooperate to clarify its usage,accord with the principle of legality.As a form of economic sanction,the specific amount of the fine in each case is limited by the retribution of liability.Compared to quantified fines,unquantified fines are more conducive to balancing crime and punishment and more effective in preventing crime.To address practical dilemmas,judicial authorities can determine fines based on liability by referencing the amount involved in the case or the corresponding imprisonment sentence,and adjust fines aimed at prevention according to the offender’s financial condition.Additionally,unified standardizing sentencing by issuing judicial interpretations and guiding cases will promote the judicial application of unquantified fines.