2014年8月14日星期四

令司法機構蒙羞之五

上一篇講是本來不打算寫的一篇,話口未完,怎麽又冒出新一篇來?因為Symon Wong(裁判官黃汝榮)昨日第一次跟我通電郵,告訴我這件事的來龍去脈,我當然不會直接把電郵張貼出來,雖然他不介意,始終有些是司法機構內部調查的事情,我不想公開太多。既然這樣,我再寫會壞事嗎?光明磊落,君子坦蕩蕩,何事不可對人言,何況是關於公義事,關於可令司法機構蒙羞之事。記得維基解密曾經講過包致金法官為人大釋法而寫給美國駐港領使申訴感受(我也寫過一篇維基解密解到終審法院),如此類推,跟我沒有私交的Symon寫給我的申訴,落落大方的寫點出來,有何不可?唯一不可的是,人若微塵的標少,在司法機構品秩低的Symon,又怎能僭越,跟包大人作類比。這篇寫給平民百姓看好了。(事實上Symon要向人打聽才取得我的電郵,我起碼超過15年沒有見過他。)

我從來不做網絡打手,有時有人刻意放料給我,我也不會寫,為的是不想捲入個人恩怨之中,更不想被人利用。這件事,我看了報章報導已寫了第一篇。Symon受到Suart-Moore嚴辭斥責一事,我第一反應已覺得措辭過份,也無必要向被告道歉,這看法並非收了Symon的電郵後才形成的。Symon為了這件事已向終院首席法官馬道立投訴,調查結果日後自有分曉。這種分曉,往往是內部的事,不為外人道,那麽如果Symon這件事平反的話,公眾又怎會知道呢?這一篇從這角度講,既然判辭已一面倒罵了Symon,我在這裏從他的角度講他的申辯。

裁判官判案被上訴,他除了可以寫裁斷陳述書講自己判案的理據,其他的事情就只好靠律政司的檢控官了。如果裁斷陳述書寫得不好,檢控官又不據理力爭,上訴得直在頃刻之間。打個岔,當年有個老外裁判官,自己走去高院,想為自己被上訴的案assist the court。言歸正傳,有些檢控官不單只不據理力爭,還看風駛悝,分分鐘concede扮正義。經審訊的上訴還有裁斷陳述書可寫,像這類申請保釋的上訴,裁判官連寫的機會也沒有,這一次,我在這裏讓Symon講。

Symon得到的資料是,Stuart-Moore於處理該案被告的保釋申請前, 早已召集一 群記者進入内庭,敦促各人可廣予報導,在沒有聽取被告的保釋申請理據前,亦已開宗明義地表明,會批准被告的保釋。同時,亦即席向在座記者派發一份早已印備好的判詞(即 HCMP 1731/2014)。Stuart-Moore 為何那麼高調處理一宗毫無特别的案件?

如果Symon得到的資料屬實(一點也不困難,向記者或法庭職員查詢,便可知道),那麽這就是smear campaign多過正常的法庭程序了。這是我的看法,Symon只是激憤。當然,Symon在一份空白沒有選擇不准擔保理由的表格簽名,一心以為法庭書記會為他填寫,就算是慣常做法,他也難辭其咎。這一點,他不能抗辯。無論如何,這種刻意傳召記者的做法要不得。Stuart-Moore真的對Symon極度不滿,可以在proforma級幾隻黑豬,向CJ投訴或向Chief Magistrate投訴,而不是訴諸傳媒。我徹底憎惡這種手法。下級法院法官已是打還不了手,罵還不了口,還要遊街示眾?打錯罵錯遊街羞辱錯的話,對當事人的natural justice何在?我不單為Symon這件案講,而是籠統地講。

Symon提出另一點不滿及向CJ申訴的是,當日被告提出押後審訊請律師的申請,當日早上Symon曾六次短暫押後讓被告聯繫律師,才斷定被告並非為了請律師而申請押後,也清楚講出拒絕繼續讓他保釋的理由。這一點毫無爭論空間,因為DARTS錄音就是證據,CM聽錄音紀錄,就無所遁形。

我不打算把這向CJ投訴的信續點講,這件事司法機構自有定奪。標少弄文,擲地無聲,正如我回覆Symon所講,我一天總有一千幾百個點擊,讓我tip the balance,讀者自己判斷。

這不是我第一次為下級法院發聲,希望身在高位的上大人,帶著教導而並非羞辱的心去批評小吏的錯誤,也要明白,法律不是看法絕對的東西,法庭畢竟不是實驗室,觀點不同,結論迥異,是平常事。案情事實方面的看法,也不是客觀實驗的結果,對錯有時取決於一念之間,不要信口嘲笑別人。


4 則留言:

  1. I have been practising for about 20 years and most of my practice were in the magistracies and district court. I am with Mr Symon Wong here. Some High Court judges never understood what was going on in the magistracies. We are not talking about college students from wealthy families who occasionally used dangerous drugs and were busted, we are talking about drugs addicts who just wanted to buy time and they could never afford private lawyers. "To engage private lawyer" was a common excuse to ask for adjournment and eventually those drug addicts would plead guilty. It was just a waste of time to re-fix or adjourn the case on such a lousy excuse. Mr Wong had done nothing wrong here.

    H

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  2. as I see it, the wrongs are tripartite (and related): Mr Wong did not tick any of the boxes in the form, Prosecution did not speak up or recall why Mr Wong refused bail, and Mr Justice Stuart-Moore over-reacted on the (incomplete) evidence laid before the court.

    I previously asked Bill what the best course of action is in order to avoid such adjournment, if it is to be avoided. And I wonder why not allow adjournment? If the reason is delay, I would argue that the Deft has to come back for trial anyway, while as a matter of degree, some but not all delay can reasonably be tolerated. On the other hand, pressing too hard for a speedy trial is equally bad.
    So, where's the dividing line? Has the line been crossed in this case?

    PH

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    1. The demarcation line is not an easy answer. Whether the line is crossed is arguable but always to the detriment of the person refusing adjournment. Yet, Symon drew a different line. He allowed the adjournment but revoked bail. In retrospect, I would proceed with the trial instead, the better of two "evils". Evading trial by drug addict is common. You need a very robust judicial officer to refuse adjournment. After all, it has become a norm to accept very ludicrous reasons because "wiser men" above think in unison. In the instant case, the criticism outweighs culpability. In judicial terms, the sentence is manifestly excessive.

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  3. What do you think of paragraph 36 of the judiciary's guide to judicial conduct (http://www.judiciary.gov.hk/en/publications/gjc_e.pdf)? Magistrates are not supposed to defend their verdicts, findings or decisions.

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