司法脾氣和氣質Judicial Temper and Temperament

'Shut up please, ma'am. I'm going to talk to you now and you listen hard … That's a disgusting response … Your explanations are pitiful … And you think you're god's gift, do you? … Shut your mouth, because I don't think it's going to do you any good.'' That was the magistrate Jennifer Betts in full cry at Ryde Local Court in June 2009.

Amy Cooper, 18, was before her, appealing against the suspension of her provisional driving licence for exceeding the speed limit (twice).

Three months later a Mr Maresch was before her on a parking matter. She gave him a terrible spray when he tried to explain that he was booked in a loading zone, but he had a trailer attached to his car.

''This is an offence of strict liability, sir, okay? … You are not a lawyer, okay? … And I've had a gutful of people such as yourself coming to this court and pleading not guilty, having hearings and getting found guilty as soon as they open their mouth. … Shut - be quiet please … Don't interrupt me.''

(Extract from Sydney Morning Herald dated 17/6/2011)

BRIAN MALONEY has been known as one of the state's most colourful magistrates, whose offbeat remarks usually cheered up those in his courtroom and occasionally attracted publicity.

There have been complaints, including when he asked a pregnant woman to stand up to show ''how pregnant'' she was and compared her to his wife's pregnancy. He was also accused of trying to bully a man who did not wish to settle his apprehended violence order, of ridiculing two security officers in court for being overweight, of ordering an unrepresented man to pay court costs without giving him a chance to argue against it and of showing colleagues a screensaver of a semi-clad woman on the beach.

But for 14 years he battled on, sometimes dealing with 5000 cases a year - until he was diagnosed early last year with bipolar disorder.

(Extract from Sydney Morning Herald dated 19/5/2011)

兩個面臨撤職的悉尼裁判官，在司法敍用委員會決定了免去他們的職務之後，垂死掙扎，試圖游說州議會議員推翻決定，期望可以保住飯碗。Betts患上抑鬱症，Maloney患上躁狂症 。Maloney還向高等法院申請上訴，希望推翻司法敍用委員會的撤職決定，法官押後裁決，州議會則下周審視他們的狀況再作決定。

法官也是常人，法官也會生病。法官萬一患上精神病，應否罷官呢？這似乎是未聽過有人討論的問題。在悉尼這兩位如果有定時吃藥，沒有在法庭咆哮或做出小丑的行為，沒有使司法機構蒙羞，根本就不應被撤職。相反來講，沒患精神病，但做出不切合身份行為的法官，反而應該受懲處。

上面所講的兩位裁判官，投訴之所以成立，是因為法庭的錄音，把過程記錄下來，否則投訴難以成立。1994年香港法庭安裝了世界首創法庭數碼錄音系统，由澳洲CRS公司提供這服務。自從安裝了這系统後，法庭的審訊紀錄不再依靠法官手寫文本為準。法官審案也輕鬆了，不再需要埋頭拚命地紀錄。法官當然也要抄下案情重點，方便在作裁決時有點案情的依據，而無需翻聽錄音。法庭安裝了錄音也無形中監察法官在庭上的行為，如果咆哮或講不切身份的話，恐怕無所遁形，想不收斂脾氣也不能。

香港法庭在沒有安裝錄音系統之前，像Betts或Maloney那樣的法官總有幾個。年輕一輩的主控比以前的幸福得多。當年有些裁判官不是迫控方撤罪就是迫被告認罪，甚至甚麼人也不用迫，也有辦法高速或者超速把案件審結。不舉實例你不能想像甚麼叫超速。話說有一天在新蒲崗裁判署某法庭(以前不叫裁判法院)，安排了7件審理的案件，大部份是藏毒(Possession of DD)。法官是父母官，是「老同之父」(吸毒者叫「老同」而並不是「老童」，「同」是同道中人的意思，所以又叫「道友」)，「老同」到這法庭，全部認罪。不認罪也當認罪。那天7件案全部認罪，大老爺也十分勤力，叫書記往其他法庭拿不認罪的案來審，那叫offer assistance，簡稱OA。終於OA了8件案，早上11時半已經收工。實際開庭時間約個半小時，真實不虛，標少第一身報導，並非傳聞。舉一件案來示範。「老同」步入法庭，大老爺問"How old are you?"「老同」通過傳譯答行年60。大老爺講"Absolute discharge, go home."標少目瞪口呆，file怎樣寫？控罪沒有讀，「老同」當然沒有答辯認罪不認罪，父母官一錘定音，皆大歡喜。不論扮演那角色，一起收工。標少開心之餘，忽然想起，file怎寫？法庭書記曉以大義，傳授標少幾招：被告認罪，無條件釋放，毒品依例充公。那豈非妨礙司法公正？書記搶白幾句，你不信我拿大老爺的紀錄給你看。標少才學會了何謂法治。今天扯遠了，這種故事一籮筐，找機會再講。