律政風暴大結局

上一篇講楊鐵樑判Reid 犯錯，先看在上訴案例中引用楊官判刑時所講的話：

"That he has given comprehensive and useful information to the I.C.A.C. at personal risk and risk to his family is not in dispute. However, this assistance, conspicuous and substantial though it may well have been, cannot conveniently be divorced from the evidence he undertakes to give for the Prosecution in a number of future prosecutions.

Whilst some credit should be given for his co-operation in enabling the I.C.A.C. to at least bring a number of charges against a number of suspects, the full impact of his co-operation cannot realistically be weighed until he has actually given evidence. I would, therefore, give a nominal discount of one year for his co-operation, leaving it to the executive to reduce his term of imprisonment until after he has given evidence. If his evidence comes up to proof, I would suggest that the executive might consider a reduction of three years from the sentence I am about to impose to be reasonable."

先不要以今天的準則來評論當時量刑的思維，以今天的準則，楊官的判刑起點為9年的話，今天的折扣會變成4年半，服刑期間行為良好，實質只坐3年。楊官當年犯錯，是建議如果Reid 肯合作指證其他人，行政當局減他3年刑期的講法，無形中邀請行政當局介入法庭判刑的責任。Reid 在Egan 案違反赦免被控(breach of immunity)的條件，但他沒有因此再被檢控。他事後向港督要求赦免刑期，港督只赦免了1年，他因此提出司法覆核，最後都被駁回(In Re CHARLES WARWICK REID CACV149/1993)。

當年港督赦免刑期的權力來自《英皇制誥》第15條(article XV of the Letters Patent)*，1997回歸之後，特首的相關權力來自《基本法》第四十八條(十二)「赦免或減輕刑事罪犯的刑罰」，但寫得簡單。楊鐵樑建議行政當局減 Reid 3年刑期的講法，史無前例。他親自操刀為Reid 判刑，可能隆重其事，為開埠以來律政第一貪來個下馬威，以儆後效，可惜做成自己跌一跤的蠢事。當然，蠢極都比不上出來陪跑選特首那次蠢。
我去過亷署參觀兩次，第二次去的時候Reid 已刑滿返回新西蘭，看過他居住的囚室及放風的天台籃球場。亷署成立以來只有兩個人在那裏服刑，第一個是 Reid，另一個是謝霆鋒串謀妨礙司法公正案的證人成國定，目的是為了保護證人。Reid 收押及服刑初期，連天台也不准上，怕他會被長距離有瞄準器的槍滅口，誰會滅他的口？為何他作供反口？都是只能作揣測性的遐想，(不要搞錯，遐想與性無關，遐想只是超現實的fanciful thinking)。這種揣測，只能在小說以fictitious 手法來寫，碩士論文提供了一些端倪，講及Reid 的老婆收了證人傳票，因為自身安全問題嚇破了膽，立即返回新西蘭，寄醫生紙回來告病，說不宜遠行。在亷署單獨囚禁的Reid，居住條件儘管比赤柱好得多，每星期都可以吃外賣麥當勞或家鄉雞，孤獨卻是一種折磨。麥列菲菲(Felice Lieh-Mak)也曾經為他做精神評估。
The Professor spent three hours with Reid on 4 February 1991 again in his cell. In her very detailed report Professor Lieh Mak described how Reid developed panic attacks once in custody, hiding their occurrence "because he did not want to show any evidence of weaknessTM7 When she examined Reid she found him to be tense and tearflul. He explained to her his fear of solitary confinement and imprisonment in an open Hong Kong system of prison. He felt be would cope better in the United Kingdom. He also added the thought the psychiatric reports would help him get to the United Kingdom. At one point he said to Lieh- Mak and she recorded it in her report, "if not allowed to go to a prison in the United Kingdom - his only alternative is not to co-operate and refuse to act as a witness".

(p.51 The Kevin Egan's case)

懂得法律的人，知道怎樣守法，也懂得怎樣鑽空子。我時常都跟朋友講謝霆鋒案，一開始懂得合法鑽空子的辦法，根本就不會惹禍上身，逃之夭夭，不會留下串謀妨礙司法公正的刑事案底。不用嘗試留言問我謝霆鋒可以怎樣鑽空，當我吹牛好了，我不會教你的。我只想講，反手為雲，覆手為雨這道理。

我又重覆思考selina 那問題 「香港有冇法官試過受賄被控」，被控的就沒有，可疑的就有一單。當年Barker 審佳寧(Carrian)串謀詐騙案，很不尋常地判no case to answer，搞到控方上訴無門，只能用AG's Reference 向上訴庭釐清法律，無名無姓的上訴案，我找了很久才找到(REFERENCE BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL UNDER SECTION 81D OF THE CRIMINAL PROCEDURE ORDINANCE CACC1/1987)。涉佳寧案多人死於非命，包括Barker 自己，這裏是New Straits Times 1989年11月17日有關他死訊的報導。有時問少一點，知少一點，才不會有"panic attack"，也不怕死於非命。

山中在律政風暴之二 留下的大問題，我思前想後，都答不來。自己層次太低，見到的只是事情片面的一角，沒有能力從大方向評論，評論了也沒有味道。我相信Reid 案是很個別的案件，對當時律政署的打擊很大，但時間已漸漸洗脫這深入肌理的斑漬，新一代已看不到這件事的一鱗半爪。

六四之後，九七之前，社會的訴求改變很大。到了現在，自由討論的廣播及平台多不勝數，我滿以為社會在進步，可是，觸目皆是《宋史》所謂，謬種流傳，是非颠倒愈甚。可惜我已醪醴不沾，否則必然找神交已久的山中，破帽遮顏，漏船載酒，浮一大白，醉眼朦朧，看這混沌的香港。

寫到這裏，律政風暴，曲終人散，已到謝幕的時候，再為公義痛飲三杯，一醉方休。

*article XV of the Letters Patent

"When any crime or offence has been committed within the Colony, or for which the offender may be tried therein, the Governor may, as he shall see occasion, in Our name and on Our behalf, grant a pardon to any accomplice in such crime or offence who shall give such information as shall lead to the conviction of the principal offender, or of any one of such offenders, if more than one; and further, may grant to any offender convicted of any crime or offence by any court of law in the Colony (other than a court martial established under any Act of Parliament), either free or subject to such conditions as the Governor may think fit to impose, a pardon or any remission of the sentence passed on such offender,or any respite of the execution of such sentence for such period as the Governor thinks fit, and may remit any fines, penalties, or forfeitures due or accrued to Us. Provided always that the Governor shall in no case, except where the offence has been of a political nature unaccompanied by any other grave crime, make it a condition of any pardon or remission of sentence that the offender shall be banished from or shall absent himself or be removed from the Colony."