刑法在应对突发公共卫生事件中的适用及限度——以应对新冠肺炎疫情为例

以危险方法危害公共安全罪、妨害传染病防治罪、妨害公务罪、非法经营罪等是妨害新冠肺炎疫情防控中的常见罪名,但是上述罪名在司法实践中存在争议,特别是在适用以危险方法危害公共安全罪规制妨害疫情防控行为时要特别慎重,把握好以危险方法危害公共安全罪和妨害传染病防治罪之间的限度。在刑法应对妨害新冠肺炎疫情防控行为的过程中,一方面,要从重从快打击涉疫情犯罪行为,有效震慑犯罪分子,恢复社会秩序。另一方面,考虑到刑法的谦抑性和刑法最后保障法的特性,有必要在刑法适用的过程中从刑法的基本价值、刑法教义学、刑事政策等方面进行限定,确保公平、正义、合理适用刑法,确保疫情防控不偏离法治的路线,确保刑法在疫情防控中的适用保持政治效果、法律效果、社会效果的统一。

Application and Limits of Criminal Law in Response to Public Health Emergencies: taking the COVID-19 Epidemic as an Example

Some common crimes that impede the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic such as crime of endangering public safety by dangerous methods, crime of impairing the prevention of communicable diseases, crime of impeding official duties, and crime of illegal business operations remain controversial in juridical practice. The limits between the crime of endangering public safety by dangerous methods and the crime of preventing and controlling infectious diseases should be set with discretion. It is necessary to crack down on crimes involving the COVID-19 epidemic, deter criminals and restore social order with the criminal law. Meanwhile, considering the features of the criminal law as the final guarantee law and humility, its application should be limited from the basic value, criminal law doctrine, and criminal policy to ensure fairness, justice and reasonableness of applying the criminal law, ensure that epidemic prevention and control do not deviate from the rule of law, and maintain the unity of political, legal, and social effects.