古思堯的侮辱國旗區旗及焚燒國旗區旗案判刑上訴的判辭(香港特別行政區 訴 古思堯
HCMA185/2013),今天上載了。刑期由9個月減為4個半月,理據牽強,我覺得刑期應該可以進一步下調。
在考慮量刑的時候,高等法院聽審上訴的張慧玲法官考慮古思堯的案底、同類控罪的判刑及焚燒國旗使在場人士蒙受危險等因素。
古思堯有案底,其中一項是侮辱區旗被判罰款。同類案的判刑而言,侮辱國旗區旗的懲處,由守行為至罰款;焚燒國旗區旗的懲處,由7天監禁至判監3個月緩刑兩年。從判辭中我看不到代表古思堯的李柱銘怎樣極力争取減刑,甚至争取不用坐監。我對古思堯亳無好感,簡直厭惡,但我還要抱不平,為的是公義,不是他個人。
一開始古思堯就應該申請保釋等候判刑上訴,如果他這樣做,得到保釋的機會很大,這次上訴結果會很不同。若果當初因為要「殉道」而不作保釋等候判刑上訴的申請,就應該「殉道」到底,不作判刑上訴。若果當初得到保釋,到聽審上訴的時候就未必是坐監已成定局的局面,張慧玲也未必會囿於原審裁判官覃有方的判刑來遞減,做成當庭釋放的刑期。這件案存在判處更短刑期的空間,甚至可以要求緩刑。古思堯以前未試過為這種控罪判過監,判監不是必然的結果。
除了上述所講,我會再提出兩點争論。第一,反駁焚燒國旗使在場人士蒙受危險的講法。張慧玲認同覃有方這看法,實在有點牽強,焚燒國旗的危險怎會大得過盂蘭節「燒衣」,在場的人一人吐一啖口水,已把它淹沒了。(你當然可以講無人敢吐,因為吐等同侮辱國旗。)不要忘記,現場有警長拿着滅火筒在撲火,真正的原因是在滅罪,撲滅焚燒國旗之罪,而不是真的要消除危險而去撲救。李資深大律師父子兵上陣,連這種陳辭都不懂講,會不會有愧於古思堯。
另一點我會提出的是,針對判辭第32段的思維來講。
在陳玉峰事件 一文留言教我要彰顯公義的讀者,我極期盼有機會看得到他怎樣奉行Lord Hewart CJ 那句金科玉律,而不是沒有內涵的lip service。
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回覆刪除David,
刪除It is probably pro bono and Martin Lee was taking his son with him for his exposure. From the judgement, I do not see his substantive argument for Koo. Can you send an email to me? I would like to tell you something (which is not really important).
Bill
Mr. Fong - I am so impressed by the fact that you, being a junior counsel yourself, see fit to criticize other members of the Bar without evening knowing the arguments actually advanced. I suppose you must have vast experience in appellate matters.
回覆刪除Even more impressive is the fact that as a counsel, you don't know the plural of counsel is also Counsel, not counsels.
Sorry for stirring this matter up. Perhaps criticism should be directed at me. I am grateful if you could tell me what Mr Lee said on behalf of Koo which was not reflected in the judgement. Perhaps I can write to Judiana Barnes and ask her to confirm the omission in the judgement. If her Ladyship replies to me, if she replies at all, in the affirmative, I will write a blog as apology to Mr Martin Lee, SC for making a very disrespectful and unwarranted criticism of him. Alternatively, I can write to Francis Lo, Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions to effect the same purpose.
刪除I have already told Mr Fong privately about the plural spelling of "counsel". It is a mistake you can even see in the appellate court judgement. In the blog I posted on 18 Oct 2011 titled 女包大人的判辭,I pointed this mistake out. I suppose it is not uncommon to see this inadvertent mistake but I did not write to the Judiciary to rectify this error the triviality of which does not require corrigendum to the judgement.
I must sincerely apologize to all members of the Bar for the unwarranted comments I made. I will be more much more circumspect in future.
回覆刪除I plead for the forgiveness.
這額外半個月的減刑並不足夠。我會要求法庭給予等同認罪的1/3減刑。古思堯的抗辯與認罪有甚麼分別?他實際上同意控方的指控,他只是沒有講「我認罪」這3個字
回覆刪除Bill少,小弟近日得閒就上來,看看你過往寫的文章.這一段小弟並不認同.雖然古生沒有挑戰控方案情,但你肯定知道控方還有不少工作要做吧,法庭也要花時間審吧,怎麼可能當他認罪,給他1/3扣減呢?至於此案的判刑的確重得不可理喻,減至4個半月也太重了,錯在只做了幾個月裁判官的那一位吧.
如果是錯在原審裁判官,那麽上訴法院的法官又如何?
回覆刪除根據判詞,J.Barnes判案前看過一系列類似案例,即Francis Lo呈堂的新證據,換句話說覃官沒有看過那些案例吧,所以覃官是根據甚麼決定starting point是大有疑問,看來很隨意吧.相反, J. Barnes看過案例後,根據案情及古生的背景決定starting point,是否manifestly excessive我不敢說.我說減至4個半月也太重,是感情上覺得搞社運判入獄四個月很不妥.
回覆刪除覃官以何作考慮不得而知,因為看不到他的裁斷陳述書。他們考慮的案例,其實只是在裁判法院過去的判罰資料,為了燒國旗抗議而要坐監,也算荒謬。
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