Capture at sea; Contraband of war; Privateering; Prize law; Prizes (Property captured at sea)
Phillimore says, "The maxim 'Bello Parta Cedunt Reipublicae,' is
recognized by all civilized states. In England all acquisitions of
war belong to the sovereign who represents the commonwealth. The
Sovereign is the fountain of booty and prize."[10] Holland makes a
similar statement: "Most systems of law hold that property taken
from an enemy vests primarily in the nation, 'Bello Parta Cedunt
Reipublicae'. A rule which is the foundation of the law of booty and
prize."[11] The same view has been expressed by the court as follows:
"That prize is clearly and distinctly the property of the crown
and the sovereign in this country, the executive government in all
countries in whom is vested the power of levying the forces of the
state and of making war and peace, is alone possessed of all property
in prize, is a principle not to be disputed.---- It is equally clear
that the title of a party claiming prize must needs in all cases be
the act of the crown, by which the royal pleasure to grant the prize
shall have been signified to the subject."[12] But this principle
is carried further and even after an express grant of prize money
has been made the crown still has exclusive control over prize. In
other words the grant of prize money creates no legal right which the
captor can maintain against the pleasure or whim of the crown. In the
case of "The Elsebe"[13] Sir William Scott said:
"It is admitted on the part of the captors that their claim rests
wholly on the order of council, the proclamation and the prize act.
It is not denied that independent of these instruments the whole
subject matter is in the hands of the crown as well in point of
interest as in point of authority. Prize is altogether a creature of
the crown. No man has or can have any interest, but what he takes
as the mere gift of the crown. Beyond the extent of that gift he
has nothing.---- This is the principle of law on the subject and
founded on the wisest reasons. The right of making war and peace
is exclusively in the crown. The acquisitions of war belong to
the crown and the disposal of these acquisitions may be of utmost
importance for the purposes both of war and peace. This is no
peculiar doctrine of our constitution, it is universally received
as a necessary principle of public jurisprudence by all writers on
the subject.---- Bello parta cedunt reipublicae---- It is not to be
supposed that the wise attribute of sovereignty is conferred without
reason; it is given for the purpose assigned that the power to whom
it belongs to decided peace or war may use it in the most beneficial
manner for the purposes of both. A general presumption arising from
these considerations is that the government does not mean to divest
itself of this universal attribute of sovereignty conferred for such
purposes unless it is so clearly and unequivocally expressed.----For
these reasons the crown has declared that till after adjudication
the captor has no interest which the court can properly notice for
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account