The vessel was arrested by a defendant who had been, but no longer was, a part owner of the vessel, having forgotten or forgotten the importance of that fact.
Held: Procuring the wrongful arrest of a ship can found a cause of action similar to malicious prosecution.
Sir Francis H. Jeune P said ‘In the present case, I think that actual damage there was none. I doubt if, as was urged before me, the ship could have been arrested, when she was, by any proper process, though perhaps an injunction to prevent leaving port until the stipulated policies were given, and the stipulated sums paid, could have been obtained. But she was not detained in port by the arrest, nor was her loading interfered with. Still, the action of the defendants was, I think, clearly, in common law phrase, without reasonable or probable cause; in common law phrase, without reasonable or probable cause; or, in equivalent Admiralty language, the result of crassa negligentia, and in a sufficient sense mala fides, and the plaintiffs’ ship was in fact seized. Therefore, I think the plaintiffs must be supposed to have suffered some damage, and I fix that damage at 11.’
Judges:
Sir Francis H. Jeune P
Citations:
[1893] P 202
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Cited by:
Cited – Crawford Adjusters and Others v Sagicor General Insurance (Cayman) Ltd and Another PC 13-Jun-2013
(Cayman Islands) A hurricane had damaged property insured by the respondent company. The company employed the appellant as loss adjustor, but came to suspect advance payments recommended by him, and eventually claimed damages for deceit and . .
Cited – Crawford v Jenkins CA 24-Jul-2014
The parties had divorced but acrimony continued. H now complained of his arrests after allegations from his former wife that he had breached two orders. He had been released and no charges followed. The court had ruled that W’s complaints were . .
Cited – Willers v Joyce and Another (Re: Gubay (Deceased) No 1) SC 20-Jul-2016
Parties had been involved in an action for wrongful trading. This was not persisted with but the claimant sought damages saying that the action was only part of a campaign to do him harm. This appeal raised the question whether the tort of malicious . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Torts – Other, Transport
Updated: 18 May 2022; Ref: scu.536419