| 单词 | Mistake |
| 释义 | 錯誤 Either a belief in the existence of a thing which does not exist, or ignorance of a relevant thing, or both. The courts have shown a willingness to move away from the strict and literal approach to statutory construction where a piece of legislation manifestly fails to achieve the intention of the legislature due to a mistake on the part of the draftsman: Chan Pun Chung & Anor v HKSAR [2000] 4 HKC 283. Contract - The situation where a party’s error or misapprehension will affect the validity or enforceability of a contract. Mistake operates so as to negative or nullify consent: Peter Yiu Sing Chan v Lam Yat Wah [1990] 2 HKLR 92. A mistake will not negative consent unless it is material to the formation of the agreement in the sense that, if the mistaken party had realised his mistake, he would not have entered that agreement: Fung Ping Shan v Tong Shun [1918] AC 403 (PC). A mistake which has legal significance is sometimes referred to as an ‘operative mistake’: Bell v Lever Bros Ltd [1932] AC 161. A mistake must generally be as to past or existing fact, and thus it is said that a mistake of law is no ground for relief whereas a mistake of fact is: Rogers v Ingham (1876) 3 Ch D 351. Depending on its nature, a mistake may render a contract void ab initio, give a right to rescind a contract ab initio, or give other remedies such as relief against forfeiture. See also Contract; Common mistake; Misrepresentation; Mutual mistake; Relief against forfeiture; Rescission; Unilateral mistake; Vitiating factor; Void ab initio. Criminal law - An error as to law or as to fact. Except in the case where proof of mens rea is unnecessary, bona fide mistake or ignorance as to matters of fact is available as a defence. Ignorance of law cannot be set up as a defence (S-J v Chan Hon Keung [2002] 3 HKC 101) although it may be a ground for the mitigation of sentence. The court may accept that an accused who finds himself in trouble after acting in consequence of erroneous legal advice has a strong mitigating factor: Surrey County Council v Battersby [1965] 2 QB 194. However, if, notwithstanding bad legal advice, the conduct of the accused is nonetheless reprehensible, the court may not feel able to dispose of the case by means of some such sentence as an order of discharge: R v Chan Woon Chung & Ors [1989] 1 HKLR 35. In cases where a particular intent or state of mind is of the essence of an offence, a mistaken but bona fide belief by a defendant that he had a right to do a particular act may be a complete defence as showing that he had no criminal intent: Smith [1974] QB 354. See also Mistake of fact; Mistake of law. 指相信已存在的事情，但該事情其實並不存在，或對某事情不知情，或兩者皆是。當法例的一部分因草擬專員的錯誤而明顯地無法達到立法機構的用意，法庭已表示願意放棄嚴格而刻板的方式，而轉向法律的解釋：Chan Pun Chung & Anor v HKSAR [2000] 4 HKC 283。 合約 - 指因某一方的錯誤或失實陳述而影響合約的有效性或可強制執行性的情況。錯誤實施而引致否定或使同意無效的情況：Peter Yiu Sing Chan v Lam Yat Wah [1990] 2 HKLR 92。某錯誤不可否定同意，除非該錯誤對協議的形成具有關鍵性，從某種意義上而言，即指如該一方瞭解其錯誤，他不會訂立該項協議：Fung Ping Shan v Tong Shun [1918] AC 403 （樞密院）。具有法律意義的錯誤有時是指 ‘有影響力之錯誤’：Bell v Lever Bros Ltd [1932] AC 161。某錯誤一般是用於過去或已存在的事實，而有說法指法律錯誤沒有寬免的理由，但事實錯誤可以得到寬免：Rogers v Ingham (1876) 3 Ch D 351。要視乎錯誤的性質，錯誤可導致由最初開始即屬無效，給予由最初開始撤銷合約的權利，或給予其他補方法，如沒收的寬免。另見 Contract; Common mistake; Misrepresentation; Mutual mistake; Relief against forfeiture; Rescission; Unilateral mistake; Vitiating factor; Void ab initio。 刑法 - 指法律方面或事實方面的錯誤。除了在某些案件中並不須證明犯罪意圖外，在事實方面上的真誠錯誤或不知情可作為抗辯理由。對法律不知情並不可使抗辯理由成立 (S-J v Chan Hon Keung [2002] 3 HKC 101) ，雖然此可成為輕判的理由。法庭可接納被告人在接受有錯誤的法律意見後作出的行為使其被捕，他即有強而有力的輕判理由：Surrey County Council v Battersby [1965] 2 QB 194。但是，不論是否有不好的法律意見的情況下，如被告人的行為是應受指責，法庭也許無法以此等作為解除令的刑罰處置該案件：R v Chan Woon Chung & Ors [1989] 1 HKLR 35。在當某特定的意圖或心態是某罪行的要素，被告人對有權利作出某特定行為有錯誤但真誠的信念，此可成為一項完整的抗辯理由以證明他沒有犯罪意圖：Smith [1974] QB 354。另見 Mistake of fact; Mistake of law。n. |
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