上下游犯罪“量刑倒挂”困境与“法益恢复”方案——从认罪认罚从宽制度的视角展开

无论是从法哲学视域的公正视角还是司法实践的立场,基于同一笔犯罪事实的前提,“下游犯罪量刑不高于上游犯罪”原则已被普遍承认。然而,由于上游犯罪来源的多样性与下游犯罪的相对单一性特点,司法裁判中上下游犯罪“量刑倒挂”现象时有发生。为了应对这一不合理现象,近年来司法机关在认罪认罚从宽制度的“背书”下,着力探索了一系列方法,主要包括:将自首、坦白情节“可以减轻处罚”的实质条件模糊化并人为主导“减轻处罚”结果,技术化地创设“下游犯罪量刑轻于上游犯罪的主犯但重于从犯”规则,对下游犯罪大量适用非监禁刑。然而,上述方案与认罪认罚从宽制度并无实质关联。事实上,在认罪认罚从宽制度背景下,下游犯罪行为人退赃退赔的“赎罪”抑或“法益恢复”行为可以作为量刑实质从宽的理论根据。具体而言,下游犯罪行为人在上游犯罪案发前的“法益恢复”情形,可以考虑对其“相对不起诉”,在上游犯罪案发后的“法益恢复”情形,可以考虑对其“定罪免刑”。

The Dilemma of“Upside Down Sentencing”of Upstream and Downstream Crimes and the Scheme of“Recovery of Legal Interests”--From the Perspective of Leniency System of Confession and Punishment

No matter from the perspective of legal philosophy or the operational position of judicial practice,under the premise of the same crime,the principle of“the sentencing of downstream crime is not higher than that of upstream crime”has been recognized.However,due to the diversity of upstream crime sources and the relative singleness of downstream crime,the phenomenon of“upside down sentencing”occurs from time to time.In order to solve this unreasonable sentencing phenomenon,in recent years,under the“endorsement”of the system of confession and leniency of punishment,the judicial organ has paid full attention to the principle of“in favor of the defendant”.In sentencing,it has carried out the interpretation of the terms of the criminal law,substantively promoted the“mitigated punishment”of surrender and confession,and advocated that the sentencing of downstream crimes can be lighter than that of the principal offender of upstream crimes,but heavier than that of accomplices.Non custodial penalty is widely applied to downstream crimes.However,the above-mentioned solution has no substantial connection with the system of pleading guilty and leniency,so it is not suitable to be used as a method to solve the“inverted sentencing”of upstream and downstream crimes.Under the background of leniency system,the“legal interest recovery”behavior of returning stolen goods and compensation by downstream criminals can be used as the basis of leniency in sentencing essence.In the case of“recovery of legal interests”before the occurrence of the upstream crime,the downstream criminal can be considered as“relative non prosecution”,while in the case of“recovery of legal interests”after the occurrence of the upstream crime,the downstream criminal can be considered as“conviction and exemption from punishment”.