对行政自由裁量权基准的反思——一起海关行政诉讼案件引发的思考

Reflections on the Benchmark for the Administrative Discretion——Inspired by a Case of Customs Administrative Appeal

当前海关执法领域自由裁量权广泛存在,自由裁量权滥用的风险较大,规制自由裁量权已成为海关面临的重要课题。近期实施的《海关规制自由裁量权办法(试行)》提出了制定裁量基准以规制自由裁量权的措施,然而自由裁量权基准本身存在着'目的与方法背离、法律性质不清、法律效力不明、公开与否两难'等诸多问题。笔者认为,自由裁量权基准细化法律规则、填充法律缝隙的特征极易造成机械执法,且自由裁量权基准本身的合法性也存在不足。作为规制自由裁量权的方法,自由裁量权基准的使用范围应严格限制。有效规制自由裁量权、防止权力滥用还是应该着力于提高立法质量,合理设置裁量空间,强化对执法行为的程序控制,发挥法律原则的指引作用,有效规制自由裁量权的同时避免机械执法。

At present there exists widely the discretionary power in the field of Customs enforcement and the risk of the abuse of the power is still high.Thus how to regulate the discretionary power has become an important subject facing the Customs administration.Measures of Customs Administration to Regulate Discretionary Power(for Trial Implementation)which was recently implemented provides the measures to constrain the discretionary power by setting up the benchmark of discretion,which is,nevertheless,handicapped by its own problems such as"contradiction between goal and means,ambiguity of legal nature,obscure legal effects and whether to disclose it or not".This paper thinks that the practice of detailing the benchmark in rules and regulations so as to fill out the legal gap may result in mechanical enforcement and what’s more,the benchmark of discretionary power has the problem of legitimacy itself.As a means to regulate the discretionary power,the benchmark should be strictly constrained in application.The effective regulation and constraint of the discretionary power and the prevention from power abuse should depend on the improvement of legislative quality,rational range of discretionary power,strengthened procedural control over enforcement and effective guiding of legal principles.Only through these means can the mechanical enforcement be avoided while the discretionary power is effectively regulated.