【七警囚2年】撐警大聯盟遊行促特首特赦 遞交千名市民簽名 (19:52)撐警大聯盟及退役警察聯會約40名成員，今午由海富中心遊行到政府總部，要求行政長官梁振英赦免7名因佔中期間襲擊示威者判囚兩年的警員。撐警大聯盟指，上周在旺角、尖沙嘴及銅鑼灣港鐵站出口收集市民簽名要求特首赦免，獲得超過1000名市民支持，今日將簽名交予行政長官。(1/3/2017 明報即時新聞)
不論怎樣同情七警的判刑, 就算收集多幾百萬市民簽名, 在法律制度和原則上都不能在這階段考慮特赦。我以前也談過《基本法》第48(12)行政長官有權「赦免或減輕刑事罪犯的刑罰」, 這權力秉承自《英皇制誥》第15條(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."
《基本法》第48(12)只簡單講了「赦免或減輕刑事罪犯的刑罰」這一句話, 連在甚麼情況下才可以運用也沒有任何解釋, 我們除了參考《英皇制誥》外, 就是要看法律制度了。舉一個極端例子, 假設有被告經法庭審訊後, 判了一個稍輕的刑期, 控方不滿刑罰過輕向上訴庭申請覆核, 殊不知期間行政長官把刑罰赦免了, 那麼控方怎樣可以循司法制度行使覆核刑期的申請? 當然這種極端例子在現實生活中一定不會出現。在現實生活中會出現的情況會像七警案那樣, 不滿定罪和刑罰, 他們申請上訴, 由上訴庭重新審視有關理據, 再作定奪。假設上訴駁回, 行政長官也不應即時行使特赦或減刑的權力, 以免給人一種行政長官推翻法庭判決的印象。這類性質的案件, 由提出上訴至上訴正審(假設批出上訴許可), 起碼都要好幾個月, 除非定罪上訴得直, 或者只是刑罰上訴得直, 還有可能發展到向終審法院申請上訴, 到頭來監也坐完了。真的考慮特赦, 也不是行政長官說了算, 行政長官也要採納律政司司長的法律意見。啟動《基本法》第48(12)的大原則是, 要在所有司法程序完結之後才可以考慮, 否則會變成行政長官干擾司法, 就會破壞三權分立的制度。而且, 行政長官可以持甚麼理由去赦免或減輕七警的刑期呢? 如果理由跟法庭的判刑理據(包括上訴庭)產生矛盾衝突, 行政長官的權力就超過了司法的權力了。特赦在本案根本是行不通的想法。