劉 對 胡

Read the full judgment text of FCMC 14262/2014 on BabelCite. This Family Court judgment was delivered on 20 June 2019 before 區域法院暫委法官 周博芬.

Contempt of court – Committal – Maintenance – Sentencing principles – Immediate imprisonment – Release conditions – District Court – 劉 (Petitioner) v 胡 (Respondent) – Respondent violated maintenance order by spending MPF on travel – Contempt found guilty – 8 weeks committal – Release upon payment of arrears and costs.

Legal issues: Sentencing principles for contempt · Appropriateness of immediate committal · Conditions for release from committal

Outcome: Contempt of court found guilty. Committed to prison for 8 weeks.

Cited by 1 case · Cites 1 case

Case No.FCMC 14262/2014[2019] HKFC 158
Court
Family Court
Date20 Jun 2019
Judge區域法院暫委法官 周博芬
Case Document
100%Judiciary

FCMC 14262/ 2014

[2019] HKFC 158

香港特別行政區

區域法院

婚姻訴訟編號2014年第14262號

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呈請人
   
答辯人

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主審法官: 區域法院暫委法官周博芬公開聆訊
審訊日期: 2019年3月27日及2019年6月20日
判案書日期: 2019年6月20日

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判案書
(交付羈押 — 判刑理由書)

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引言

1.本席裁定答辯人(“男方”)就藐視法庭罪罪名成立,在聽取男方的求情後,再頒布本判刑理由書。

2.根據區域法院規例第336 H章第52命令,呈請人( “女方” )針對男方欠支付贍養費向法院申請交付羈押命令。

3.YKL v. YCF, FCMC 14949 of 2013 一案中, 區域法院暫委法官黃禮榮(當時官階)對交付羈押量刑總結如下:

“The Principles

1. The purpose of the remedy for contempt of court is to ensure obedience to the court’s order. Committal affects the liberty of the subject the court will only make an order for committal as a last resort and if there are other methods of enforcing compliance with the order those will be used: see Butterworths Family Law Service, Blinder 4(1), at § 3297.1.

2. In W v H (No 3) (Contempt in Financial Remedy Proceedings and Costs) [2015] EWHC 2842 (Fam), Parker J, set out the stages to consider when sentencing for contempt:

3. There are a number of stages:

(i) The court does not have to commit to prison, but there is no principle that the term should not be immediate on the first breach.

(ii) The alternatives are limited.

(iii) The court can make no order, adjourn, fine, requisition assets and make a mental health order.

(iv) The length of a term of imprisonment must be decided without reference to whether it is to be suspended.

(v) The length of the term depends on the court's objectives.

(vi) It must bear some reasonable relationship to the two year maximum.

(vii) Suspension powers are wider than in the criminal context.

(viii) Length of suspension needs to be considered separately, though may be linked to continuing compliance with the underlying order.

(ix) The court must consider the context.

(x) The court cannot ignore parallel proceedings, and the court will not want the contemnor to be punished twice for the same events.

(xi) The court should explain the reasons for its choices.”

4.一般來說,判刑有數個階段:

(i) 法院未必需要在第一次觸犯藐視法庭罪判監禁刑期,但這個做法並非不可行;

(ii) 其他可行的安排存有限制;

(iii) 法院不能就案件命令押後,對欠款一方判罰款,移交資產或作出有關精神健康的命令;

(iv) 在衡量監禁刑期時,法院不能考慮判處緩刑;

(v) 量刑考慮必需符合法院的原則;

(vi) 法院須謹記兩年監禁刑期是最高刑罰;

(vii) 法院在民事藐視法庭罪的緩刑權限比刑事藐視法庭的為廣闊;

(viii) 倘若判處緩刑,緩刑長短需與欠款一方是否可以繼續遵從命令的能力作考慮;

(ix) 法院須考慮其他要素;

(x) 法院應留意雙軌的申請是否存在,欠款一方不應就相同的事宜再次被判罰;及

(xi) 法院須解釋其判刑理由。

5.本席明日判處監禁刑期是最後選擇。

6.本席考慮男方的求情重點。男方只是重複他的辯解。男方沒有悔悟。

7.男方蓄意違反2015年7月28日的贍養費命令,判以緩刑不適當。男方不但沒有履行該命令,在收取強積金須支付女方港幣160,000元;男方選擇實現個人夢想,不惜盡花所有強積金款項周遊列國。在男方呈上的單據上,甚至與友人前往,支付團費。男方並非只是參加了一次旅遊,而是多次的,連續的,務求花光一分一毫令女方不能獲取贍養費。

8.本席不認為有求情因素存在。男方雖然高齡,可是在本案中並不適用,判處監禁刑期是合適的做法。

9.本席頒布命令,男方須即時交付覊押8星期。倘若男方支付以下金額,交付覊押命令則即時解除:

(i) 判定金額港幣140,978.22元;

(ii) 由男方違反2015年7月28日贍養費命令起計,由2017年5月29日至2019年6月20日共25個月的利息,一律以判定利率8%計算,共港幣23,496.37元 (港幣140,978.22 元x 8% x 25/12 月) ;

(iii) 在本判案書頒布後的每天利息,一律以判定利率8%計算,每天30.89港幣元 (港幣140,978.22元 x 8% / 365 天);及

(iv) 女方在2018年11月14日存檔的交付羈押傳票的訟費,包括所有保留訟費,以簡易程序評定為港幣15,980元。

(v) 女方本身之訟費須按照《法律援助規例》評定。

 
 

  ( 周博芬 )
  區域法院暫委法官
 
呈請人: 由法律援助署崔巧敏律師代表
答辯人: 無律師代表,親自應訊

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