初探英國法之妨礙司法公正

Perverting the Course of Justice in England

本文嘗試釐清英國法中妨礙司法公正罪之定義、刑期與類型。妨礙司法公正是習慣法中之可公訴罪行，但該罪不只出現在習慣法法域。一旦在訴訟程序中，發生濫用或誤用情形，公平與正義則無從彰顯。“Perverting the course of justice”係指：施行一意圖或傾向阻礙或打擊妨礙公眾正義之行為。常見例子是製造虛假證據誤導警方、對警方為虛假陳述、竊取或湮滅證據、威脅證人、企圖影響陪審員。習慣法中妨礙司法公正之犯行與藐視法庭罪、妨礙證人罪之犯行有重疊之處。

Perverting the course of justice is a common law offence and triable on indictment. Several types of conduct are most commonly indicated including, fabrication or disposal of evidence or inducing others to do so, intimidating a witness, juror or person assisting an investigation and harming or threatening to harm a witness, juror or person assisting an investigation. An offence is not committed by an omission to act. In R v. Kenny (Mark), the issue on appeal was whether a breach of restraint order made under POCA was capable, without further illegality beyond the breach of the order itself, of constituting the offence of perverting the course of justice.