与海盗谈判期间船舶运营费用的共同海损属性——兼评英国最高法院Longchamp共损案判决

General Average Attributes of Vessel Operating Expenses during Negotiations with Pirates:Comments on the British Supreme Court’s Decision in the General Average Case of Longchamp

近年,海盗行为主要表现为劫持船货和人质,并藉此索要赎金。船东与海盗进行谈判继而支付赎金已成为应对此类情况的普遍做法,这也使与海盗谈判期间的船舶运营费用是否可归属于共同海损成为新的争议点。2017年英国最高法院对Longchamp案的判决将与海盗谈判期间的船舶运营费用定性为代替费用。该判决在实践和理论层面都存在问题,并不真正有利于海盗赎金系列问题的解决。与海盗谈判期间的船舶运营费用应定性为共同海损,这一定性于理论及实践皆可行,能更有效解决海盗赎金引发的系列问题。

In recent years,piracy is mainly manifested by hijacking cargo and hostages and then demanding ransom.It has become a common practice for shipowners to negotiate with pirates and then pay ransom,which also makes it a new controversial point whether the operating expenses of the vessel during the negotiation with pirates can be attributed to general average.In 2017,the decision of the British Supreme Court in the Longchamp Case identified the operating expenses of the vessel during the negotiation with pirates as substitute costs.The judgment has some problems in practice and theory,which is not really conducive to solving the series of problems of pirate ransom.The operating expenses of the vessel during the negotiation with the pirates should be defined as general average,which is feasible both in theory and in practice,and can more effectively solve a series of problems caused by the pirates’ransom.