投机倒把罪:一个口袋罪的死与生

Crime of Speculation: Death and Birth of a Pocket Crime

投机倒把罪属于经济犯罪,而经济犯罪与一个国家的经济体制存在密切的关联性。从1949年到1979年,我国没有制定《刑法》,但在有关政策和规范性文件中,却对投机倒把罪做了规定,成为当时严格的计划经济体制下,惩治破坏计划经济体制的投机倒把行为的主要根据。我国1979年《刑法》规定了投机倒把罪,但对投机倒把行为没有具体规定,主要是通过司法解释进行规定,因而投机倒把罪具有口袋罪的特征。随着从计划经济体制到市场经济体制的发展,投机倒把罪的内涵发生了重大变化。尤其是1997年《刑法》废除了投机倒把罪,代之以非法经营罪。非法经营罪仍然保留了口袋罪的特征,利用《刑法》第225条第4款关于其他非法经营行为的兜底规定,我国立法机关和司法机关不断扩张非法经营罪的范围。从投机倒把罪到非法经营罪的罪名演变,可以视为是我国《刑法》70年历史变迁的一个缩影。

The crime of speculation belongs to economic crime.There is a close relationship between economic crime and a country’s economic system.From 1949 to 1979,there was no criminal law in China,but the crime of speculation was stipulated in relevant policy and normative documents,which became the main basis for punishing the speculative activities that undermined the planned economic system under the strict planned economic system at that time.China’s criminal law in 1979 stipulated the crime of speculation,but there was no specific provision for speculation,mainly through judicial interpretation,so the crime of speculation had the characteristics of pocket crime.With the development from the planned economy system to the market economy system,the connotation of the crime of speculation has changed greatly.Especially in 1997,the Criminal Law abolished the crime of speculation,replaced by the crime of illegal operation.However,the crime of illegal business still retains the characteristics of pocket crime.By using the basic clause of Article 225,paragraph 4,of the Criminal Law on other illegal business activities,our legislatures and judicial organs continue to expand the scope of the crime of illegal business.From the crime of speculation to the crime of illegal business operation,the crime can be considered as a microcosm of the 70-year history of China’s criminal law.