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后港补选司法案 连安慰奖都不给阿嫂?


后港补选司法案,到底是公众利益,还是国家利益,法律精神,更还是政府的面子问题。后港阿嫂要求法庭诠释总理有关补选的权力范围,结果被判了败诉,不需付堂费。原本已经无事,但是,总检察署依然不满,非要把这个‘不需付堂费的安慰奖’拿走不可。

法律,条文,宪法的制定,难道不是公众利益的延伸吗?国会在制定,修订我国的法律时,不是需要通过国会议员的表决吗?如果没有国会议员,公众利益如何诠释?国会议员就是代表选民的公众利益,在国会行使投票权,来修订或设立新的律法。不然,为何国会,也叫做立法会?或许,在一党独大之下,我们都忘记了国会就是为了公众利益而立法,为了公众利益而发言的地方。

总理的绝对权力

较早前,高庭已经判定总理有绝对权力决定是否举行以及何时举行补选。高庭法官Philip Pillai在书面判词中指出,我国宪法并没有要求当国会席位悬空时,必须通过选举来填补。同样的,我国宪法也没有要求补选必须在三个月或合理期限内举行。

这个诠释对法官来说,就是公众利益通过国会制定出来的宪法的解释。如果大多数的选民认为不合理,下次大选,可以选出在野党,让他们在国会占多数,最好超过三分二,这样一来,就可以修订宪法和其他法律,以更符合公众利益的观点来诠释总理的绝对权力。

宪法给予总理绝对权力,是否意味着公众利益的权力被削落了?那么,什么是公众利益?法官和总检察署对这一点也持不同的意见,法官说基于公众利益,不需要付堂费,但是,总检察署不认同,要提出上诉。

总检察署在声明中说,这是法庭首次对败诉人不需负责任(堂费)做出的判决,因此要求上诉庭做出解释,并认为上诉庭的判决将会符合公众利益:

In a statement yesterday, the AGC said Justice Pillai's decision had raised a question of general principle decided for the first time in the Singapore Courts, upon which further argument and a decision of the Court of Appeal "would be to the public advantage".
The objective, said the AGC, would be to "give the apex court of Singapore the opportunity to consider and clarify this issue of public importance".http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC121106-0000090/AG-appealing-High-Court-decision-in-Hougang-by-election-case

总理的绝对权力,法庭的宪法诠释,和公众利益之间的关系是否是一成不变的呢?如果这样,总理大可不要举行后港补选,继续利用他的绝对权力和以往一样,不举行补选。正如他在决定后港补选时说的一样,他希望后港区能够有一个议员在国会代表他们,因此,决定让后港选区举行补选。

或许,法庭还不了解总理对自己绝对权力的处理和诠释。既然宪法没有改变,法庭就应该照老规矩来判案。而总检察署在法律面前,更要依然依老方法来办案。可怜的后港阿嫂,可能就为此失去得到手的‘安慰奖’。

公众利益即是民意

败诉人后港阿嫂Vellama,其实代表了很多人,当然也包括支持在野党的选民,他们不希望看到选区内没有议员,因为每当议员因病因事离去,他们就失去一个代表他们的议员。不补选这个行动党过去的坏习惯,一直是国人所不满的。议席悬空,原本就是公众利益,法庭把补选的权限全部给予总理来诠释,在一定程度上,已经把总理的权力放在公众利益之上了。

现在后港阿嫂得了个安慰奖,不需要付堂费。但是总检察署还是不放过阿嫂,还是要追讨这笔1万元的费用。总检察署基于法律公正的精神来追讨费用,就像多数私人律师不做免费工作一样,顾客不还钱,他们就有权追讨。不要忘记,总检察署要维护司法正义,公平,他们也是受薪人士,‘拿人钱财,与人消灾’,也一定要做出一些法律精神的事情来。

问题是,如果行动党政府通过总检察署在这件事情上继续穷追猛打,连安慰奖都不给败诉人,尤其是在公众利益下,还要追讨堂费,即使是赢了官司,其政治代价很可能更加的高。

行动党,政府和司法机构以前那套诠释公众利益的标准是时候改变了。公众利益在一党独大的环境里,和新政治常态里,是不一样的,而改变是有必要的。连总理都不运用本身的绝对权力,而同意后港补选,其他的人难道还不明白吗?

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