伯馬石油有限公司訴總檢察長
參考內容 > 註釋

↑  英語原文：「The central question arising on this appeal is whether or no compensation is payable to a subject for property destroyed by the Crown under its prerogative powers to prevent it falling into the hands of the enemy.」
↑  英語原文：「The extent of the power by virtue of which the Crown destroyed the pursuers' property has been much debated before your Lordships. Both sides agree that the destruction was lawful. I feel little doubt that it was done by virtue of some aspect of the Crown's prerogative which arises out of its right and duty to protect its realm and citizens in times of war and peril.」
↑  英語原文：「I find myself in such general agreement with the views expressed by my noble and learned friends, Lord Reid and Lord Pearce, whose opinions I have had an opportunity of reading, that I do not propose to detain your Lordships for any great length of time. I also find the judgment of the Lord Ordinary very compelling, and I have found his ample citation of authority of the greatest assistance.」
↑  英語原文：「I regard this as a very exceptional case. It is argued, inconveniently I think, merely upon pleadings. I doubt very much whether it is proceeding upon a true basis. Both sides agree that the acts of destruction in question were lawful, and the appellants' case at any rate rests wholly upon the theory that they were done in exercise of the prerogative. Much, but not all, of the respondent's argument accepted this position. As we know only vaguely what this prerogative is and have even vaguer information as to when and on what occasions it has been asserted throughout history, I have become more and more uncertain what it is that we are really talking about.」
↑  英語原文：「There are before your Lordships four appeals by associated companies in actions brought by them against the Lord Advocate under the Crown Suits Act, 1857. When war broke out with Japan, these companies owned extensive properties in Burma, including oil wells, pipe lines, refineries and other buildings and stocks of petroleum and other goods. When the Japanese invaded Burma, these were destroyed by order of the British Government. The appellants claim that they are entitled to payment of such sum as will make good to the pursuers the damage sustained by them as a result of that destruction. The Lord Ordinary, Lord Kilbrandon, repelled pleas that the pursuers' averments are irrelevant and allowed proof before answer. The First Division by interlocutors of 14th March 1963 sustained the pleas to relevancy and dismissed the actions. The appellants now seek to have the interlocutors of the Lord Ordinary restored.」
↑  英語原文：「This case therefore turns, in my view, on the extent of the exception of what has been called battle damage. Such damage must include both accidental and deliberate damage done in the course of fighting operations. It cannot matter whether the damage was unintentional or done by our artillery or aircraft to dislodge the enemy or by the enemy to dislodge our troops. And the same must apply to destruction of a building or a bridge before the enemy actually capture it. Moreover, it would be absurd if the right to compensation for such a building or bridge depended on how near the enemy were when it was destroyed. But I would think that Vattel is right in contrasting acts done deliberately (librement et par precaution) with damage caused by inevitable necessity (par une necessite inevitable). His examples show that he means something dictated by the disposition of the opposing forces. It may become necessary during the war to have new airfields or training grounds and the necessity may be inevitable, but that kind of thing would not come within the exception as stated by any of the commentators, inevitably necessary because there is really no choice: for example, there may be only one factory in the country or one site available for a particular purpose.」
↑  英語原文：「In conclusion, I would agree that the Public Authorities Protection Act of 1893 does not assist the respondent in this case.」
↑  英語原文：「At common law, taking or destroying property in the course of fighting the enemy did not give rise to any claim for compensation whether that was done by the armed forces of the Crown or by individuals taking arms to defend their country or by the enemy. 」
↑  For example in In re A Petition of Right (1915 case cited in Burmah Oil Company (Burma Trading) Limited v. Lord Advocate, [1965] AC 75) during the first world war, the military authorities took possession of land for Shoreham Aerodrome. The owners were dissatisfied with the compensation offered and sought a declaration that they were entitled to proper compensation. The Crown pleaded that the land had been taken by the royal prerogative or, alternatively, under The Defence of the Realm Act, 1914. It was held that no compensation was legally due under either.
↑  原文內容：「This case therefore turns, in my view, on the extent of the exception of what has been called battle damage. Such damage must include both accidental and deliberate damage done in the course of fighting operations. It cannot matter whether the damage was unintentional or done by our artillery or aircraft to dislodge the enemy or by the enemy to dislodge our troops. And the same must apply to destruction of a building or a bridge before the enemy actually capture it. Moreover, it would be absurd if the right to compensation for such a building or bridge depended on how near the enemy were when it was destroyed. But I would think that Vattel is right in contrasting acts done deliberately (librement et par precaution) with damage caused by inevitable necessity (par une necessite inevitable). His examples show that he means something dictated by the disposition of the opposing forces. It may become necessary during the war to have new airfields or training grounds and the necessity may be inevitable, but that kind of thing would not come within the exception as stated by any of the commentators, inevitably necessary because there is really no choice: for example, there may be only one factory in the country or one site available for a particular purpose.」