This Act may be cited as the Naval Prize Act 1864.

In this Act—

The High Court of Admiralty, and every Court of Admiralty or of Vice-Admiralty, or other Court exercising Admiralty Jurisdiction in Her Majesty's Dominions, for the time being authorized to take cognizance of and judicially proceed in matters of Prize, shall be a Prize Court within the meaning of this Act.

Every such Court, other than the High Court of Admiralty, is comprised in the term Vice-Admiralty Prize Court, when hereafter used in this Act.

An appeal shall lie to Her Majesty in Council from any order or decree of a Prize Court, as of right in case of a final decree, and in other cases with the leave of the Court making the order or decree.

Every appeal shall be made in such manner and form and subject to such regulations (including regulations as to fees, costs, charges, and expenses) as may for the time being be directed by order in Council, and in the absence of any such order, or so far as any such order does not extend, then in such manner and form and subject to such regulations as are for the time being prescribed or in force respecting Maritime Causes of Appeal.

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council shall have jurisdiction to hear and report on any such appeal, and may therein exercise all such powers as for the time being appertain to them in respect of appeals from any Court of Admiralty jurisdiction, and all such powers as are under this Act vested in the High Court of Admiralty, and all such powers as were wont to be exercised by the Commissioners of Appeal in Prize causes.

Her Majesty in Council may grant to the Judge of any Vice-Admiralty Prize Court a salary not exceeding 500 pounds a year, payable out of money provided by Parliament, subject to such regulations as seem meet.

A Judge to whom a salary is so granted shall not be entitled to any further emolument, arising from fees or otherwise, in respect of Prize business transacted in his Court.

An account of all such fees shall be kept by the Registrar of the Court, and the amount thereof shall be carried to and form part of the consolidated fund of the United Kingdom.

In accordance, as far as circumstances admit, with the principles and regulations laid down in the Superannuation Act 1859, Her Majesty in Council may grant to the Judge of any Vice-Admiralty Prize Court an annual or other allowance, to take effect on the termination of his service, and to be payable out of money provided by Parliament.

The Registrar of every Vice-Admiralty Prize Court shall, on 1 January and 1 July in every year, make out a return (in such form as the Lords of the Admiralty from time to time direct) of all cases adjudged in the Court since the last half-yearly return, and shall with all convenient speed send the same to the Registrar of the High Court of Admiralty, who shall keep the same in the registry of that Court, and who shall, as soon as conveniently may be, send a copy of the returns of each half year to the Lords of the Admiralty, who shall lay the same before both Houses of Parliament.

It shall not be lawful for any Registrar, Marshal, or other officer of any Prize Court, or for the Registrar of Her Majesty in Prize Appeals, directly or indirectly to act or be in any manner concerned as advocate, Proctor, solicitor, or agent, or otherwise, in any Prize cause or appeal, on pain of dismissal or suspension from office, by order of the Court or of the Judicial Committee (as the case may require).

It shall not be lawful for any Proctor or solicitor, or person practising as a Proctor or solicitor, being employed by a party in a Prize cause or appeal, to be employed or concerned, by himself or his partner, or by any other person, directly or indirectly, by or on behalf of any adverse party in that cause or appeal, on pain of exclusion or suspension from practice in Prize matters, by order of the Court or of the Judicial Committee (as the case may require).

Every ship taken as prize, and brought into port within the jurisdiction of a prize court, shall forthwith, and without bulk broken, be delivered up to the marshal of the court.

If there is no such Marshal, then the ship shall be in like manner delivered up to the principal officer of Customs at the port.

Every aircraft taken as prize, and brought to a place within the jurisdiction of a prize court, shall forthwith, and without bulk broken, be delivered up to the Marshal of the Court.

If there is no such Marshal, then the aircraft shall be in like manner delivered up to such person as the court may appoint.

The ship or aircraft shall remain in the custody of the Marshal, or of such officer or person, subject to the orders of the Court.

The captors shall, with all practicable speed after the ship is brought into port, or the aircraft is brought to a place within the jurisdiction of a prize court, bring the ship papers or the aircraft papers, as the case may be into the registry of the Court.

The officer in command, or 1 of the chief officers of the capturing ship or capturing aircraft, or some other person who was present at the capture, and saw the ship papers or aircraft papers delivered up or found on board, shall make oath that they are brought in as they were taken, without fraud, addition, subduction, or alteration, or else shall account on oath to the satisfaction of the Court for the absence or altered condition of the ship papers or aircraft papers or any of them.

Where no ship papers or aircraft papers are delivered up or found on board the captured ship or captured aircraft, the officer in command, or one of the chief officers of the capturing ship or capturing aircraft, or some other person who was present at the capture, shall make oath to that effect.

The captors may include in 1 adjudication any number, not exceeding 6, of armed ships not exceeding 100 tons each, taken within 3 months next before institution of proceedings.

The foregoing provisions relating to ships and aircraft shall extend and apply, mutatis mutandis, to goods taken as Prize on board ship or aircraft; and the Court may direct such goods to be unladen, inventoried, and warehoused.

Where, in an expedition of any of Her Majesty's naval or naval and military forces against a fortress or possession on land, goods belonging to the state of the enemy or to a public trading company of the enemy exercising powers of government are taken in the fortress or possession, or a ship is taken in waters defended by or belonging to the fortress or possession, a Prize Court shall have jurisdiction as to the goods or ship so taken, and any goods taken on board the ship, as in case of Prize.

Where any ship or goods is or are taken by any of Her Majesty's naval or naval and military forces while acting in conjunction with any forces of any of Her Majesty's allies, a Prize Court shall have jurisdiction as to the same as in case of Prize, and shall have power, after condemnation, to apportion the due share of the proceeds to Her Majesty's ally, the proportionate amount and the disposition of which share shall be such as may from time to time be agreed between Her Majesty and Her Majesty's ally.

A Prize Court, on proof of any offence against the Law of Nations, or against this Act, or any Act relating to naval discipline, or against any Order in Council or Royal Proclamation, or of any breach of Her Majesty's instructions relating to Prize, or of any act of disobedience to the orders of the Lords of the Admiralty, or to the command of a superior officer, committed by the captors in relation to any ship or goods taken as Prize, or in relation to any person on board any such ship, may, on condemnation, reserve the Prize to Her Majesty's disposal, notwithstanding any grant that may have been made by Her Majesty in favour of captors.

Where a ship of a foreign nation passing the seas laden with naval or victualling stores intended to be carried to a port of any enemy of Her Majesty is taken and brought into a port of the United Kingdom, and the purchase for the service of Her Majesty of the stores on board the ship appears to the Lords of the Admiralty expedient without the condemnation thereof in a Prize Court, in that case the Lords of the Admiralty may purchase, on the account or for the service of Her Majesty, all or any of the stores on board the ship; and the Commissioners of Customs may permit the stores purchased to be entered and landed within any port.

Any ship or goods taken as Prize by any of the officers and crew of a ship other than a ship of war of Her Majesty shall, on condemnation, belong to Her Majesty in Her Office of Admiralty.

Where any ship , aircraft, or goods belonging to any of Her Majesty's subjects, after being taken as Prize by the enemy, is or are retaken from the enemy by any of Her Majesty's ships of war or any of His Majesty's military aircraft, the same shall be restored by decree of a Prize Court to the owner, on his paying as Prize salvage one eighth part of the value of the Prize to be decreed and ascertained by the Court, or such sum not exceeding 1 eighth part of the estimated value of the Prize as may be agreed on between the owner and the re-captors, and approved by order of the Court:

provided, that where the re-capture is made under circumstances of special difficulty or danger, the Prize Court may, if it thinks fit, award to the re-captors as Prize salvage a larger part than 1 eighth part, but not exceeding in any case 1 fourth part, of the value of the Prize.

provided also, that where a ship or aircraft after being so taken is set forth or used by any of Her Majesty's enemies as a ship of war or as a military aircraft, this provision for restitution shall not apply, and the ship or aircraft shall be adjudicated on as in other cases of Prize.

Where a ship or aircraft belonging to any of Her Majesty's subjects, after being taken as Prize by the enemy, is retaken from the enemy by any of Her Majesty's ships of war or any of His Majesty's military aircraft, she may, with the consent of the re-captors, prosecute her voyage, and it shall not be necessary for the re-captors to proceed to adjudication till her return to a port of the United Kingdom.

The master or owner, or his agent, or the pilot or owner of the aircraft or his agent, may, with the consent of the re-captors, unload and dispose of the goods on board the ship or aircraft, as the case may be, before adjudication.

In case the ship does not, within 6 months, return to a port of the United Kingdom or the aircraft does not, within 6 months, return to a place within the United Kingdom, the re-captors may nevertheless institute proceedings against the ship, aircraft, or goods in the High Court of Admiralty, and the Court may thereupon award Prize salvage as aforesaid to the re-captors, and may enforce payment thereof.

If, in relation to any war, Her Majesty is pleased to declare, by proclamation or Order in Council, Her intention to grant Prize bounty to the officers and crews of Her ships of war, then such of the officers and crew of any of Her Majesty's ships of war as are actually present at the taking or destroying of any armed ship of any of Her Majesty's enemies shall be entitled to have distributed among them as Prize Bounty a sum calculated at the rate of five pounds for each person on board the enemy's ship at the beginning of the engagement.

The number of the persons so on board the enemy's ship shall be proved in a Prize Court, either by the examinations on oath of the survivors of them, or of any 3 or more of the survivors, or if there is no survivor by the papers of the enemy's ship, or by the examinations on oath of 3 or more of the officers and crew of Her Majesty's ship, or by such other evidence as may seem to the Court sufficient in the circumstances.

The Court shall make a decree declaring the title of the officers and crew of Her Majesty's ship to the Prize Bounty, and stating the amount thereof.

The decree shall be subject to appeal as other decrees of the Court.

On production of an official copy of the decree the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury shall, out of money provided by Parliament, pay the amount of Prize Bounty decreed, in such manner as any Order in Council may from time to time direct.

Her Majesty in Council may from time to time, in relation to any war, make such orders as may seem expedient, according to circumstances, for prohibiting or allowing, wholly or in certain cases, or subject to any conditions or regulations or otherwise, as may from time to time seem meet, the ransoming or the entering into any contract or agreement for the ransoming of any ship or goods belonging to any of Her Majesty's subjects, and taken as Prize by any of Her Majesty's enemies.

Any contract or agreement entered into, and any bill, bond, or other security, given for ransom of any ship or goods, shall be under the exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court of Admiralty as a Prize Court (subject to appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council), and if entered into or given in contravention of any such Order in Council shall be deemed to have been entered into or given for an illegal consideration.

If any person ransoms or enters into any contract or agreement for ransoming any ship or goods, in contravention of any such Order in Council, he shall for every such offence be liable to be proceeded against in the High Court of Admiralty at the suit of Her Majesty in Her Office of Admiralty, and on conviction to be fined, in the discretion of the Court, any sum not exceeding 500 pounds.

If the master or other person having the command of any ship of any of Her Majesty's subjects, under the convoy of any of Her Majesty's ships of war, wilfully disobeys any lawful signal, instruction, or command of the commander of the convoy, or without leave deserts the convoy, he shall be liable to be proceeded against in the High Court of Admiralty at the suit of Her Majesty in Her Office of Admiralty, and upon conviction to be fined, in the discretion of the Court, any sum not exceeding 500 pounds, and to suffer imprisonment for such time, not exceeding 1 year, as the Court may adjudge.

All ships , aircraft, and goods taken as Prize and brought into a port of the United Kingdom or brought to a place within the United Kingdom, as the case may be, shall be liable to and be charged with the same rates and charges and duties of Customs as under any Act relating to the customs may be chargeable on other ships , aircraft, and goods of the like description; and

All goods brought in as Prize which would on the voluntary importation thereof be liable to forfeiture or subject to any restriction under the laws relating to the Customs, shall be deemed to be so liable and subject, unless the Commissioners of Customs see fit to authorize the sale or delivery thereof for home use or exportation, unconditionally or subject to such conditions and regulations as they direct.

Where any ship or goods taken as Prize is or are brought into a port of the United Kingdom, the master or other person in charge or command of the ship which has been taken or in which the goods are brought shall, on arrival at such port, bring to at the proper place of discharge, and shall, when required by any officer of Customs, deliver an account in writing under his hand concerning such ship and goods, giving such particulars relating thereto as may be in his power, and shall truly answer all questions concerning such ship or goods asked by any such officer, and in default shall forfeit a sum not exceeding 100 pounds, such forfeiture to be enforced as forfeitures for offences against the laws relating to the Customs are enforced, and every such ship shall be liable to such searches as other ships are liable to, and the officers of the Customs may freely go on board such ship and bring to the Queen's warehouse any goods on board the same, subject, nevertheless, to such regulations in respect of ships of war belonging to Her Majesty as shall from time to time be issued by the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury.

Where any aircraft or goods taken as prize is or are brought to any place within the jurisdiction of a prize court, the pilot or other person in charge or command of the aircraft which has been taken or in which the goods are brought shall, when required by any officer of Customs deliver an account in writing under his hand concerning such aircraft and goods, giving such particulars relating thereto as may be in his power, and shall truly answer all questions concerning such aircraft or goods asked by any such officer, and in default shall forfeit a sum not exceeding 100 pounds, such forfeiture to be enforced as forfeitures for offences against the laws relating to the Customs are enforced; and every such aircraft shall be liable to such searches as other aircraft are liable to; and the officers of the Customs may freely go on board such aircraft and bring to the King's warehouse any goods on board the same, subject, nevertheless, to such regulations in respect of military aircraft belonging to His Majesty as shall from time to time be issued by the Treasury.

Goods taken as Prize may be sold either for home consumption or for exportation; and if in the former case the proceeds thereof, after payment of Duties of Customs, are insufficient to satisfy the just and reasonable claims thereon, the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury may remit the whole or such part of the said Duties as they see fit.

If any person wilfully and corruptly swears, declares, or affirms falsely in any Prize cause or appeal, or in any proceeding under this Act, or in respect of any matter required by this Act to be verified on oath, or suborns any other person to do so, he shall be deemed guilty of perjury, or of subornation of perjury (as the case may be), and shall be liable to be punished accordingly.

Any action or proceeding shall not lie in any part of Her Majesty's dominions against any person acting under the authority or in the execution or intended execution or in pursuance of this Act for any alleged irregularity or trespass, or other Act or thing done or omitted by him under this Act, unless notice in writing (specifying the cause of the action or proceeding) is given by the intending plaintiff or prosecutor to the intended defendant 1 month at least before the commencement of the action or proceeding, nor unless the action or proceeding is commenced within 6 months next after the Act or thing complained of is done or omitted, or, in case of a continuation of damage, within 6 months next after the doing of such damage has ceased.

In any such action the defendant may plead generally that the Act or thing complained of was done or omitted by him when acting under the authority or in the execution or intended execution or in pursuance of this Act, and may give all special matter in evidence; and the plaintiff shall not succeed if tender of sufficient amends is made by the defendant before the commencement of the action; and in case no tender has been made, the defendant may, by leave of the Court in which the action is brought, at any time pay into Court such sum of money as he thinks fit, whereupon such proceeding and order shall be had and made in and by the Court as may be had and made on the payment of money into Court in an ordinary action; and if the plaintiff does not succeed in the action, the defendant shall receive such full and reasonable indemnity as to all costs, charges, and expenses incurred in and about the action as may be taxed and allowed by the proper officer, subject to review; and though a verdict is given for the plaintiff in the action he shall not have costs against the defendant, unless the Judge before whom the trial is had certifies his approval of the action.

Any such action or proceeding against any person in Her Majesty's naval service, or in the employment of the Lords of the Admiralty, shall not be brought or instituted elsewhere than in the United Kingdom.

A Petition of Right, under the Petitions of Right Act 1860, may, if the suppliant thinks fit, be intituled in the High Court of Admiralty, in case the subject matter of the petition or any material part thereof arises out of the exercise of any belligerent right on behalf of the Crown, or would be cognizable in a Prize Court within Her Majesty's dominions if the same were a matter in dispute between private persons.

Any Petition of Right under the last-mentioned Act, whether intituled in the High Court of Admiralty or not, may be prosecuted in that Court, if the Lord Chancellor thinks fit so to direct.

The provisions of this Act relative to appeal, and to the framing and approval of general orders for regulating the procedure and practice of the High Court of Admiralty, shall extend to the case of such Petition of Right intituled or directed to be prosecuted in that Court; and, subject thereto, all the provisions of the Petitions of Right Act, 1860, shall apply, mutatis mutandis, in the case of any such Petition of Right; and for the purposes of the present section the terms Court and Judge in that Act shall respectively be understood to include and to mean the High Court of Admiralty and the Judge thereof, and other terms shall have the respective meanings given to them in that Act.

Her Majesty in Council may from time to time make such Orders in Council as seem meet for the better execution of this Act.

Every Order in Council under this Act shall be published in the London Gazette, and shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament within thirty days after the making thereof, if Parliament is then sitting, and, if not, then within 30 days after the next meeting of Parliament.

Nothing in this Act shall—

• give to the officers and crew of any of Her Majesty's ships of war or any of His Majesty's military aircraft any right or claim in or to any ship, aircraft, or goods taken as Prize or the proceeds thereof, it being the intent of this Act that such officers and crews shall continue to take only such interest (if any) in the proceeds of Prizes as may be from time to time granted to them by the Crown; or

• affect the operation of any existing treaty or convention with any foreign power; or

• take away or abridge the power of the Crown to enter into any treaty or convention with any foreign power containing any stipulation that may seem meet concerning any matter to which this Act relates; or

• take away, abridge, or control, further or otherwise than as expressly provided by this Act, any right, power, or prerogative of Her Majesty the Queen in right of Her Crown, or in right of Her Office of Admiralty, or any right or power of the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom, or of the Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral; or

• take away, abridge, or control, further or otherwise than as expressly provided by this Act, the jurisdiction or authority of a Prize Court to take cognizance of and judicially proceed upon any capture, seizure, Prize, or reprisal of any ship, aircraft, or goods, and to hear and determine the same and, according to the course of Admiralty and the Law of Nations, to adjudge and condemn any ship, aircraft, or goods, or any other jurisdiction or authority of or exerciseable by a Prize Court.

This Act shall commence on the commencement of the Naval Agency and Distribution Act 1864.