論兒童最佳利益在對父母或主要照顧者被告量刑中的考慮：兼談憲法法庭111年憲判字第8號判決之啟示及影響

On the Best Interests of the Child in Sentencing for Parents or Primary Caregivers: The Implications and Influences of Taiwan Constitutional Court Judgment 111-Hsien-Pan-8 (2022)

判刑和其他刑事司法決定，往往會對犯罪者之受撫育兒童產生不利，甚至創傷性的影響。而從國際人權規範以及若干國家制度實踐經驗也可看出，刑事領域已逐漸意識到在對父母或主要照顧者被告量刑決定應考慮其撫育兒童最佳利益等要求。自兒童權利公約、部分區域人權條約規範，以及南非憲法法院SvM案判決經驗可知，法院對父母或主要照顧者判刑時，應盡可能施以監禁外替代措施，並考慮不同判決對兒童所產生的衝擊，以確保兒童最佳利益及其表意權利。我國刑事法律對此並無明文規定，又雖自從兒童權利公約內國法化後，我國裁判實務已有若干適用經驗，但從最高法院迄今所作出之裁判例則可發現，其大致上仍未能清楚意識到兒童最佳利益在父母或主要照顧者量刑中考慮之重要性。 另一方面，在憲法法庭111年憲判字第8號判決對兒童權利的正面宣示與保障契機下，本文認為，該號判決所涉兒童最佳利益攸關人格權、人性尊嚴、兒童表達意見權及憲法上正當程序等保障意旨，亦應援用於同樣影響兒童權益之對父母或主要照顧者被告的量刑決定。同時，相關單位也應進行修法，使兒童最佳利益評判在量刑過程具備其獨立之地位及步驟，以確保此類案件兒童權益之實體及程序保障。

Sentencing and other criminal justice decisions often have adverse, even traumatic effects on the offender’s dependent children. From the international human rights norms and the practical experience of certain nations, it can also be seen that the criminal judicial discipline has gradually realized that the best interests of children shall be considered in the sentencing of their parents or primary caregivers. From the Convention on the Rights of Child, the norms of regional human rights treaties, and the precedent of the South African Constitutional Court in the S v M case, it is manifested that the court shall consider alternative measures to imprisonment, and consider the impact of respective sentences on children in its judicial proceedings, to ensure the rights to best interest and the rights to expression of children. While Taiwan lacks legal provision on such notions and the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child had inspired some practical applications of this norm; from the precedents of the Supreme Court, it can be found that it had failed to implement this norm and consider the best interests of the child in the sentencing of parents or primary caregivers. On the other hand, while Taiwan Constitutional Court (TCC) Judgment 111-Hsien-Pan-8 (2022) promulgated a positive declaration on the protection of children’s rights, this article holds that the intent of the judgement, namely the constitutional due process protection of rights to personality, dignity, and expression of children, shall also be implemented to the sentencing of parents or primary caregivers, which nevertheless affects children’s rights. At the same time, relevant authorities shall also amend laws to guarantee the independent relevance and process of children’s rights was implemented in the sentencing process, and to ensure the substantial and procedural protection of children’s rights was executed.