國際海洋法法庭就M / T“ San Padre Pio乙案(瑞士訴奈及利亞)之緊急措施裁定(臨時措施命令)

The M/T “San Padre Pio” Case (Switzerland v. Nigeria), Provisional Measures Order (6 July 2019)
國際海洋法法庭就M / T“ San Padre Pio乙案(瑞士訴奈及利亞)之緊急措施裁定(臨時措施命令)

By Wan-Li YANG
2020/06/22

2019年7月6日所為之裁定摘要:

(海域)
涉及於專屬經濟海域(EEZ)非法交易油。

(背景-內國法層次)
2018年1月23日尼日海軍逮捕一艘正在Nigeria(奈及利亞)經濟海域進行石油有關產品交易的瑞士籍油輪 San Padre Pio號，油輪上16名船員並一併被逮捕，最後經調查改為僅起訴油輪船長以及三名高階船員，其他船員則被釋放，並於2018年4月13日提交保釋金後，Nigeria解除該油輪之扣押，然Nigeria法院對船長及該三名船員限制出境。

(國際法)
該案瑞士隨即以在經濟海域享有海洋法公約所確保之「航行自由」(the freedom of navigation)，依據公約第290條向ITLOS聲請緊急措施，要求尼日停止一切訴訟程序，並解除船長等人之限制出境裁定。

國際海洋法法庭認為依據公約第290條，法庭有該案緊急措施之管轄權。

(耗盡原則)
《公約》第283條要件:
關於《公約》第283條之義務，法庭指出: 瑞士已經多次嘗試與Nigeria交換意見，而未獲得Nigeria回應，於此情形下，瑞士可以合理地得出"達成協議之可能性已經用盡”（“Switzerland could reasonably conclude that the possibility of reaching agreement was exhausted” (paragraph 72 of the Order) 。 因此，法庭認為:瑞士於提起仲裁程序前，已符合《公約》第283條所規定之要件 “these considerations are sufficient at this stage to find that the requirements of article 283 of the Convention were satisfied before Switzerland instituted arbitral proceedings” (paragraph 75 of the Order).。
因此法院認為，公約附件七之仲裁法庭依據表面證據對此爭端具有管轄權( “concludes that prima facie the Annex VII arbitral tribunal would have jurisdiction over the dispute submitted to it” (paragraph 76 of the Order)。


緊急情況之判斷
法庭指出有關緊急措施(或譯為臨時措施，類似保全措施)，“須滿足瑞士所聲請保護之權利至少須為合理的”（  “needs to satisfy itself that the rights which Switzerland seeks to protect are at least plausible” (paragraph 77 of the Order) ），且法院更進一步說明，在受理此 緊急措施階段，“未要求法院必須明確證明(確定)瑞士所主張之權利確實存在（  “is not called upon to determine definitively whether the rights claimed by Switzerland exist” (paragraph 105 of the Order)。

法庭注意到瑞士之主張乃: 即M/T “San Padre Pio在奈及利亞專屬經濟海域(EEZ)進行的活動是航行自由之一部分，且瑞士為船旗國，遂擁有就此海上加油活動之專屬管轄權。

法庭也注意到奈及利亞之主張為:  擁有專屬經濟海域之主權權利和義務……對其專屬經濟海域上之加油行為，有權行使執法管轄權（“it has sovereign rights and obligations… to exercise its enforcement jurisdiction over the bunkering activities in question in its exclusive economic zone” (paragraph 107 of the Order)。

最後法庭認為: 考慮到各方之法律論點以及現有證據，瑞士在本案中所主張之權利為合理（“taking into account the legal arguments made by the Parties and evidence available before it, it appears that the rights claimed by Switzerland in the present case … are plausible” (paragraph 108 of the Order)“

真實與迫在眉睫之風險與難以彌補之偏見
(Real and imminent risk of irreparable prejudice)

法庭表示，根據《公約》第290條第5項，法庭不得授予緊急措施(臨時措施)，除非存在構成迫在眉睫之損害，換言之，對當事人之權利恐造成不可彌補之損害之真實與迫在眉睫之風險(“unless there is a real and imminent risk that irreparable prejudice may be caused to the rights of parties to the dispute before the constitution and functioning of the Annex VII arbitral tribunal (paragraph 111 of the Order)。

本案，該油輪之扣押以及船員之逮捕拘留，將不可避免地，損害瑞士關於航行自由以及行使對該領土之專屬管轄權的權利。如果仲裁法庭裁定這些權利屬於瑞士，則作為船旗國之瑞士，則存在瑞士所主張之風險，且僅靠金錢賠償可能仍難以補償（ “there is a risk that the prejudice to the rights asserted by Switzerland … may not be fully repaired by monetary compensation alone” (paragraph 128 of the Order)）。

法庭指出，1. 系爭油輪不僅已經被扣押相當長之時間，2.且船舶及其船員也持續暴露於對身體與安全上之危險。“the M/T “San Padre Pio” has not only been detained for a considerable period of time but also that the vessel and its crew are exposed to constant danger to their
security and safety (paragraph 129 of the Order)。3.法庭還注意到，於2019年4月15日，尚發生對系爭船舶之武裝襲擊。因此，4.於附件七仲裁法庭組成之前，瑞士之權利確實存有難以挽回之損害，且迫在眉睫之風險。於此緊急情況下，法庭須依據公約第290條第5項規定採取緊急措施(臨時措施)“that there is a real and imminent risk of irreparable prejudice to the rights of Switzerland pending the constitution and functioning of the Annex VII arbitral tribunal” and “accordingly finds that the urgency of the situation requires the prescription of provisional measures under article 290, paragraph 5, of the Convention (paragraph 131 of the Order).。


裁定主文

以17票對4票
法庭依據《公約》第290條第5項，在附件七仲裁法庭作出判斷前，裁定以下緊急措施(臨時措施)：
（1）如裁定書第139和140段所述，瑞士應以銀行擔保之形式，向奈及利亞提交總額為14,000,000美元之債券或其他財務擔保。
（2）特殊的是，法院還進一步裁定要求: 倘日後附件七仲裁法庭認為奈及利亞對系爭船舶之逮捕和拘留不違反公約的話，換言之，倘仲裁法院日後認為奈及利亞於2018年1月22日至23日，在EEZ所為之管轄權行使並不構成《公約》之違反的話，瑞士應確保系爭船舶船長以及三名高階船員於日後奈及利亞所進行之刑事訴訟程序中出庭。瑞士和奈及利亞兩國應於執行此項承諾時，真誠合作。( Switzerland shall undertake to ensure that the Master and the three officers are available and present at the criminal proceedings in Nigeria, if the Annex VII arbitral tribunal finds that the arrest and detention of the M/T “San Padre Pio”, its cargo and its crew and the exercise of jurisdiction by Nigeria in relation to the event which occurred on 22-23 January 2018 do not constitute a violation of the Convention. Switzerland and Nigeria shall cooperate in good faith in the implementation of such undertaking.)
（3）當瑞日提出前開(1)之債券或其他財務擔保，並簽發(2)之承諾後，奈及利亞應即釋放系爭船舶、船長與三名高階船員，並確保系爭船舶、貨物、船長與三名船員得離開奈及利亞所管轄之領土以及海域。


By Wan-Li YANG
2020/06/22

資料來源:
1.ITLOS: https://www.itlos.org/cases/list-of-cases/
2.Press Release
TODAY, 6 JULY 2019, THE TRIBUNAL DELIVERED ITS ORDER IN THE M/T
“SAN PADRE PIO” CASE (SWITZERLAND V. NIGERIA), PROVISIONAL
MEASURES
https://www.itlos.org/fileadmin/itlos/documents/press_releases_english/PR_290_En.pdf