论国家主管机关的人命救助方主体资格——以《海商法》第185条的完善为视角

Status of the Competent State Authority as the Salvor of Human Life—A Perspective from the Perfection of Article 185 of the Chinese Maritime Code

《海商法》第185条对国家主管机关因履行职责而救助人命时是否具有人命救助方主体资格规定不明。根据文义解释,“在救助作业中救助人命的救助方”应包括国家主管机关,且这一解释符合第185条的立法目的,故应作为解释该条的最优方法;学理研究则援引区分理论,以国家主管机关救助人命系履行法定职责且缺乏自愿性为由,否定其人命救助方主体资格。承认第185条项下国家主管机关的人命救助方主体资格,既有司法实践的有力背书,又可为人命救助优先原则的有效落实提供保障。否定国家主管机关的人命救助方主体资格有违第185条的文义解释,而且有损人命救助优先原则的基本精神,并因缺乏合理性基础而不具可采性。以《海商法》修改为契机对第185条予以完善,通过明确规定国家主管机关人命救助方主体资格的方式来定分止争,有助于提高《海商法》的确定性、权威性和实效性。

There is a controversy over whether to recognize the status of the competent state authority as the salvor of human life under Article 185 of the Chinese Maritime Code.According to the textual interpretation of Article 185,there are two constitutive requirements for the qualification of the salvor of human life.One is that the relevant entity has performed an act of saving human life at sea,regardless of whether the act is based on fulfilling legal responsibilities,and the other is that the act of saving human life occurred in the salvage operation in the sense of the Chinese Maritime Code.Thus,under the textual interpretation of Article 185,the status of the entity as the salvor of human life has nothing to do with its identity,and therefore the competent state authority should be the qualified salvor of human life.On the contrary,current academic research holds a negative attitude towards the status of the competent state authority as the salvor of human life.The reason is that the salvage of human life at sea under Article 185 of the Chinese Maritime Code should be voluntary salvage activities,and the implementation of salvage of human life at sea by the competent state authorities is an act of fulfilling legal responsibilities.Because of the lack of voluntary elements in salvage activities,it should not be recognized as a qualified salvor of human life under Article 185.The interpretation of Article 185 is contradictory and undermines the certainty and authority of the Chinese Maritime Code.Therefore,the revision of the Chinese Maritime Code should be taken as an opportunity to clearly recognize the status of the competent state authority as the salvor of human life.The reasons for this proposed amendment are as follows.Firstly,the current judicial practice strongly endorses the status of the competent state authority as the salvor of human life.On the one hand,in the relevant jurisprudence,the court has clearly recognized that while the competent state authority is not entitled to a remuneration when saving human life in the performance of its duties,it is entitled,as a salvor of human life under Article 185,to receive a fair share of the payment awarded to the salvors for salving the ship or other property or for preventing or minimizing the pollution damage to the environment.On the other hand,in several cases,the court refused to recognize that the lack of voluntariness of salvage has the effect of denying the status of salvage operators.Secondly,the recognition of the status of the competent state authority as the salvor of human life helps to break through the current difficulties faced by salvage of human life at sea,promotes the effective implementation of the principle of priority in saving human life,and reflects the greatest respect for the value of human life.Finally,there is no reasonable basis for denying the status of the competent state authority as the salvor of human life.This is not only because the negative position is contrary to the textual interpretation of Article 185 of the Chinese Maritime Code,but also because it undermines the basic spirit of the principle of priority in saving human life.Moreover,denying the status of the competent state authority as the salvor of human life based on the lack of voluntariness in salvage of human life will inevitably lead to confusion and conflicts in the interpretation of relevant provisions of the Chinese Maritime Code.By specifying the status of the competent state authority as the salvor of human life in Article 185,increasing legal certainty,authority and effectiveness of the Chinese Maritime Code can reasonably be expected.