弱勢司法、弱勢權利──在中國大陸的法庭上實現憲法權利

Weak Courts, Weak Rights:Realizing Constitutional Rights in the PRC Courts

如世界各國憲法之通例，中國大陸憲法（1982年）也列舉了公民可享有的基本權利。2004年憲法修正案在第33條增加了一款「國家尊重和保障人權」，就此翻開了中國大陸權利保護的新篇章。然而，中國大陸政府及其官員對公民憲法權利和自由的侵害，司法救濟對這種現象制約機制的不足，所有這些在國內外備受詬病。其結果是，權利和自由的實現和保障機制差強人意。緊扣憲法權利條款的落實的主題，本文首先分析現行憲法框架阻礙了循司法解決之途由人民法院直接適用憲法的原因。其次，本文探究人民法院近來所做過的一些嘗試，以及其對保護公民權利所產生的深遠影響。再次，本文進一步討論即使在當前法律政策格局下尚無法實現實質的制度性突破的情況下，人民法院作為一個能動的憲法執行者在落實憲法權利問題上仍舊可以扮演一個幅度有限但地位不可替代的重要角色。為實現這一目標，筆者力薦全國人民代表大會常務委員會和人民法院「雙軌制」的模式，最大限度地落實公民的憲法權利。

Like many other constitutions, the Chinese Constitution (1982) enumerates a list of fundamental rights that citizens can enjoy. The 2004 Constitutional Amendment adds the phrase “The state respects and preserves human rights” to art. 33 and marks a new page in rights protection in China. However the violation of citizens’ constitutional rights and freedoms by the PRC government and its officials and the unavailability of judicial remedies to curb this phenomenon have long been criticized inside China as well as out. As a result, the realization and guarantee of rights and freedom is far from satisfactory. Firstly, focusing on the implementation of constitutional rights clauses, this article analyses why the current constitutional legal framework discourages direct application of the Constitution by in the courts. Secondly, it examines the attempts made by the PRC courts in the recent past, and discusses their significance in the protection of such rights. Thirdly, it further argues that although there can be no foreseeable, substantial, and institutional breakthroughs in the current context of law and politics, the courts as a positive enforcer of the Constitution can still play a limited but important and irreplaceable role in realizing constitutional rights. To achieve this, this article promotes a “dual-track approach” that involves both the NPCSC and the courts.