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议员身兼二职 客户和公众利益,孰轻孰重?

by Yee Loon
02/07/2018
in 政治, 新闻
Reading Time: 1 min read
0

在本月升任律政部兼卫生部高级政务部长的唐振辉,认为过去分身担任城市丰收教会案辩护律师,并没有造成任何利益冲突。

唐振辉受理城市丰收教会失信案期间,担任政府国会内政及律政委员会副主席。他在该案为该教会创会牧师康希辩护。

他在接受亚洲新闻台专访时透露, 他理解担任该失信案辩方律师然他招来很多负评,被抨击这不是人民行动党议员所为,“但我不会道歉,重来一次我还是会做同样决定。这是我的工作,有人把案子带到律师楼,要我受理。”

他说,律政部长尚穆根,也强调宪法保障任何人都有权在法律面前选择自己的辩护者。如果律师因为被批评而不敢为受害者请命,那么我们的法治精神是匮乏的。

他补充,难道身为行动党议员,就不能作为律师为嫌犯辩护?那么身为医生的议员是否就不能为嫌犯治病?

去年4月,高庭三司在二对一的情况下,用刑事法典第406条文,以较轻的失信罪惩罚丰收教会案的失信者。今年初,最高法院上诉庭也维持原判,没有接受控方要求,加重康希和五名副手的罪刑。

上诉庭解读,“代理”应为职业代理,即保险经纪和房地产经纪等,不包括公司董事。
唐振辉担任康希辩方律师。他在专访中辩解,有关条文多年不曾修改,已不合时宜,存在缺陷。他指出丰收教会领导并不属“专业代理”,以409条文对付康希并不恰当,法律规定刑罚是根据被告的层次而定。

“我很庆幸我能够把道德情感从我的专业态度中区分出来。作为律师我陈述眼前的事实。”

是议员又是辩方律师

尚穆根在今年2月曾表示,有关刑罚太轻,考虑在国会讨论,提高高级职员失信的刑罚。

“政府政策很明确:身为组织高层或管理者,你获得高度信任和更多的权力以管理组织产业。一旦失信,理应获得比普通职员更重的刑罚。”尚穆根表示,责任越大刑罚更重影视毋庸置疑的。

在此,我们并非议论对于失信者的刑罚是否太轻,关键在于,康希的辩护律师唐振辉,当时也是国会内政及律政委员会副主席,而该委会职责,就是监督各部门的相关立法事项。

为此,唐振辉发现法律漏洞,是否有责任建议国会,有关法律已经不合时宜?而他作为康希辩护律师的身份,是否能在不影响议员捍卫公众利益的立场下,又能捍卫其客户的利益?

高级律师收费不菲

城市丰收教会案件是我国审讯期最长的案件,六名被告在2012年被控。六名被告中,除了周英汉,皆有代表律师,其中四人聘请了高级律师(Senior Counsel),唐振辉即为其中一员。

如果案件复杂且持久,高级律师的合约金可从100万元起跳或更高。合约金依据几个因素决定,包括案件重要性、涉及数额、被告身份地位和控状对被告身份的影响等。

除了合约金外,当事人也须另支付律师出庭费用,以国家法院为例,高级律师一天出庭费约为1万5千新元。案件上诉至最高法院上诉庭,出庭费可达两、三万元,还不包括准备呈词的费用,约为一两万元。

唐振辉自1995年就任职律师,处理企业、商业诉讼,和国际仲裁事务。不过,他在升任高级政务部长后,律师楼事务将全权交给同僚,不再插手。

英议员不能兼差辩护律师

在英国,国会议员如有其他兼职,需向国会财务利益注册局,汇报给人收入来源。议员不能担任辩护律师,确保不与公众利益冲突。

Image result for george osborne
英议员奥斯本因为身兼多职,引来民众抨击。(图源:维基百科)

前英国财政大臣奥斯本,除了身为议员,还是报纸主编、主讲嘉宾、“北方经济引擎”组织主席、公司顾问和美国麦凯恩学院研究员。致使英政府监察机构检讨议员从事第二职业,是否有违道德标准。

英国民众就对议员身兼二职越来越反感。2010年起,议员若想继续兼职,还得在大选前通告当地选民。

英国议员平均工资约为6.5英镑。但他们可透过法律事务、咨询、担任公司高管或顾问等兼职,获得比议员薪资高13倍的酬劳。有些议员兼职长达20小时,议会中有68议员每年兼职超过1万英镑,18名议员兼职收入超过10万英镑。

反观普通老百姓,一些职业不准职员打工兼职,有些民众只能偷偷在正职下班后,从事送外卖、网卖、私召车等兼差,然而即使身兼两、三职,充其量也勉强抵消了通货膨胀,刚刚好应付日常开销。议员的身份往往提供接触各种管道的便利,若再加上其他兼差,只会加大与普通老百姓的收入差距。

 

**城市丰收教会失信案新闻背景:康希被指在07-09年资助其妻子艺人何耀珊,进行跨界计划,透过妻子的传福音,挪用公款2千400万新元购买债券。教会会计发现此事后,康希等人又再挪用2千660万新元假装购回债券。

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