<轉載自2017年11月2日 明報 社評>
人大常委會將於本周通過決議案，把新近通過的《國歌法》納入《基本法》附件三，由本港立法實施，任何人在公眾場合蓄意侮辱國歌，將面臨刑事責任。有人主張從嚴立法，甚至應該有追溯力，亦有人羅列種種假設情况，質疑具體執法可行性。《國歌法》本地立法應該以平常心看待，既要維護國家尊嚴，亦要保障港人基本自由，毋須照搬內地條文，寬緊視乎社會實際情况，不應隨便違背本港法律一貫原則，亦沒必要鑽牛角尖，自己嚇自己。
劃清底線先求治標 立法避免設追溯期
9月初全國人大常委會通過《國歌法》，規定在公共場合故意竄改國歌歌詞曲譜、以歪曲貶損方式奏唱國歌，又或以其他方式侮辱國歌，均屬違法。根據內地最新提出的刑法修正草案，侮辱國歌情節嚴重者，可處以3年以下有期徒刑。人大常委會提到，近年香港發生一些不尊重國歌的事件，挑戰「一國兩制」原則和社會價值底線，由特區政府自行立法實施《國歌法》，具有迫切和現實重要意義。
過去數年，部分港人仇視內地情緒升溫，有人頭腦發熱，失去分寸。上月港隊對馬來西亞的亞洲盃外圍賽，有球迷噓國歌，日前亞洲足協向香港足總發出嚴厲警告，如有再犯將被重罰，包括閉門作賽。國旗國歌是一個國家及其人民的象徵，尊重所有國家的國旗國歌，是基本國際禮儀，可是一小撮本港球迷一而再在國際賽事蓄意侮辱國歌，有人還以不文手勢挑釁，自以為「好好玩」，將尊重別人的文明精神拋諸腦後，不管搬出何等冠冕堂皇的政治藉口，都是說不過去。
有本地論者認為，《國歌法》「治標不治本」，未有正視噓國歌的「深層政治原因」。沒有人會天真以為，透過法律手段可以加強國民身分認同，侮辱國歌背後所反映的當然是政治問題，不過《國歌法》本地立法的最大作用，就是劃出清晰底線，說明什麼行為是不能接受，人大常委會亦明言，目標是透過引入《國歌法》有效防止和處理相關行為。治本困難，不代表毋須治標。
《國歌法》本地立法，港人最關心不外兩點，一是立法從寬還是從嚴，一是法例會否有追溯力。香港奉行一國兩制，與內地有別，沒必要亦沒可能照搬內地《國歌法》。本港已有《國旗及國徽條例》，任何人公開故意侮辱國旗國徽，即屬犯法，最高可判罰款5萬元及監禁3年。有關法規可以作為《國歌法》的參考準繩。
當然，國歌有聲無形，與國旗國徽有形有體不同，立法具體技術細節需要小心處理，惟也不必鑽牛角尖，失卻平常心。有論者對立法心存憂慮，提出種種假設情景，諸如大球場內奏唱國歌，仍在門外排隊買票人士應該如何反應；如果食肆內電視機響起國歌歌聲，食客是否要「肅立」等等，擔心市民隨時「誤墮法網」。然而就算再完備的法例，都很難窮盡所有特殊情况，總有灰色地帶，如何根據合情合理判案，體現法例精神，正是法官的職責。
本港擁有值得信賴的司法制度，只要法律條文不至於太過粗疏，沒有理由懷疑法庭不懂得合理判別何謂「蓄意」、何謂「侮辱行為」。有人關注球場群眾集體侮辱國歌，場面混亂難以執法，質疑法例現實操作可行性，然而只要《國歌法》條文寫得清晰，理論上警方可以利用電視片段或手機影片作為呈堂證據，作出拘捕檢控，一如處理旺角暴亂案件般，若有人認為做法兒戲，日後大可在法庭上力陳己見，交由法官定斷，毋須現在便越俎代庖。
另外，也有人主張《國歌法》本地立法應該有追溯力，以收即時阻嚇作用，然而這亦非平常心處理。本港奉行普通法，刑事法例並無追溯期，現在罰則細節尚未清楚規定，設定追溯權有欠公道。雖然人大作為全國最高權力機關，有權規定《國歌法》有追溯力，惟此舉勢必打擊港人對一國兩制的信心，對香港肯定不是好事。
滋事者變本加厲 恐逼香港入死角
有港區人大代表透露，人大常委會的決議案未有提及追溯期，若然屬實，無疑可以令香港社會暫舒一口氣，亦反映中央明白茲事體大，不希望用上這一套。然而如果在本地立法空窗期內，一小撮滋事分子仍然漠視社會利益，變本加厲侮辱國歌挑釁，主張設立追溯期的聲音有可能愈益高漲。本港有小撮人存心挑起矛盾，煽動香港與內地對立，實際是將香港逼入死角，各界有必要表明立場嚴厲譴責，維護香港利益。
Common sense needed in National Anthem legislation
THE National People's Congress Standing Committee is to adopt a motion
this week to include the newly passed National Anthem Law into Annex III to the
Basic Law. The law will be enacted in Hong Kong through local legislation.
Anyone who insults the national anthem intentionally in public places will face
criminal charges.
In early September the National People's Congress Standing Committee
adopted the National Anthem Law, which stipulates that it is illegal to tamper
with the melody and lyrics of the national anthem in public places, play or
sing the national anthem in a disparaging way, and insult the national anthem
in other ways. According to the newly proposed criminal amendment act, serious
cases of insulting the national anthem are punishable by up to three years of
imprisonment. The National People's Congress also mentioned that there had been
several incidents of people disrespecting the national anthem in recent years,
which threatened the principle of "one country, two systems" and Hong
Kong's social norms. The National People's Congress said that there was an
urgent and practical need for the SAR government to implement the National
Anthem Law through legislation by itself.
Some commentators in Hong Kong said that the National Anthem legislation
would be "palliative", as it failed to give proper regard to the
"deep-seated political reasons" behind the booing of the national
anthem. Of course no one is so naive as to think that the government can
promote people's sense of national identity through legal means. No doubt the
insult of the national anthem reflects a political issue. But the major effect
of enacting the National Anthem Ordinance through local legislation is to draw
a clear red line and illustrate what kind of behaviour is unacceptable. As the
National People's Congress Standing Committee has said, the goal is to prevent
and deal with such behaviour effectively through National Anthem legislation.
That it is difficult to get to the root of the problem does not mean that it is
not necessary to take stopgap measures.
Hong Kong people are concerned about two things when it comes to the
local legislation of the National Anthem Law — the strictness of the law, and
whether the law is retroactive. Hong Kong is run under the "one country,
two systems" policy, so it is unnecessary and impossible to transplant the
National Anthem Law in mainland China in its entirety into Hong Kong. The
National Flag and National Emblem Ordinance is already part of Hong Kong's
laws, under which anyone who openly insults the national flag and national
emblem will have committed a criminal offense and can face a maximum fine of
$50,000 and three years in prison. The ordinance can serve as the reference
point in the National Anthem legislation.
Hong Kong has a trustworthy legal system. As long as the clauses are not
too ambiguous, there is no reason to think that the courts do not know how to
determine reasonably whether an action is intentional and insulting. Some
people are concerned about the case in which football fans insult the national
anthem collectively during a football match, arguing that there will be a lot
of confusion that makes the law unenforceable. They are skeptical about whether
it is possible to enforce the law. But we are convinced that as long as the
clauses of the National Anthem Law are clearly written, the police can
theoretically use TV footage or video clips taken by mobile phones as evidence and
arrest and charge these people, just as they did during the Mong Kok riot.
There are also people who believe that the National Anthem law should be
retroactive to achieve immediate deterrent effects. This is not the sensible
thing to do. Hong Kong has a common law system, and its criminal laws are not
retroactive. It is unfair for the National Anthem Law to be retroactive when
the penalties are not clear yet. It is true that the National People's
Congress, as the highest organ of power of the country, has the authority to
stipulate that the National Anthem Law is retroactive. But if it does so, it
will in all likelihood damage Hong Kong people's confidence in "One
country, two systems", and that will not be a good thing to Hong Kong.
平常心看待國歌法 立法毋須鑽牛角尖
人大常委會將於本周通過決議案，把新近通過的《國歌法》納入《基本法》附件三，由本港立法實施，任何人在公眾場合蓄意侮辱國歌，將面臨刑事責任。
9月初全國人大常委會通過《國歌法》，規定在公共場合故意竄改國歌歌詞曲譜、以歪曲貶損方式奏唱國歌，又或以其他方式侮辱國歌，均屬違法。根據內地最新提出的刑法修正草案，侮辱國歌情節嚴重者，可處以3年以下有期徒刑。人大常委會提到，近年香港發生一些不尊重國歌的事件，挑戰「一國兩制」原則和社會價值底線，由特區政府自行立法實施《國歌法》，具有迫切和現實重要意義。
有本地論者認為，《國歌法》「治標不治本」，未有正視噓國歌的「深層政治原因」。沒有人會天真以為，透過法律手段可以加強國民身分認同，侮辱國歌背後所反映的當然是政治問題，不過《國歌法》本地立法的最大作用，就是劃出清晰底線，說明什麼行為是不能接受，人大常委會亦明言，目標是透過引入《國歌法》有效防止和處理相關行為。治本困難，不代表毋須治標。
《國歌法》本地立法，港人最關心不外兩點，一是立法從寬還是從嚴，一是法例會否有追溯力。香港奉行一國兩制，與內地有別，沒必要亦沒可能照搬內地《國歌法》。本港已有《國旗及國徽條例》，任何人公開故意侮辱國旗國徽，即屬犯法，最高可判罰款5萬元及監禁3年。有關法規可以作為《國歌法》的參考準繩。
本港擁有值得信賴的司法制度，只要法律條文不至於太過粗疏，沒有理由懷疑法庭不懂得合理判別何謂「蓄意」、何謂「侮辱行為」。有人關注球場群眾集體侮辱國歌，場面混亂難以執法，質疑法例現實操作可行性，然而只要《國歌法》條文寫得清晰，理論上警方可以利用電視片段或手機影片作為呈堂證據，作出拘捕檢控，一如處理旺角暴亂案件般。
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