KOI.V.
Chung Tan Krong, lưng Yan, lao kwong,
Teang Sun, Tsang Hing, la king, Yau Hing. song dan, cong lim, li hum hoa, tư tư
and Isang Kau.
100
1 concur. It may be that for certain purposes international
law forms part of the common law and thus becomes without
statutory assistance automatically enforceable by the Common
Law Courte. It may be that for such purposes statutes have
been passed which are in their nature no more than declara- tory of principles of international law already recognised and given effect to by those courts.
Yet in the case of piracy "jure gentium" it would seem beyond doubt that international law has done no more than establish the principle that "by engaging in piracy a person becomes "hostes humani generis” and forfeits all claim to
protection by his een country; and that any country may therefore assume to punish him whether he is a subject of
that country or not and enerever the offence is committed".
Cf. Soacoe's Criminal Evidence 13tu edition p.215 mat
exactly constitutes a piracy and how it anall be tried and
punished in any particular country within the comity of nations is left to be determined by that country.
In England prior to 1536 the Lord High Admiral took cognisance of piracy as a crime, and by the Statute of Henry VII (28 Henry, c.15) passed in that year and by further Statutes of the first half of the 19th century first koyal Commissioners then the Central Criminal Court and finally the Common Law Courts of sesize, fyer and Terminer and Gaol Delivery assumed a concurrent jurisdiction. if any competent Court nas jurisdiction, derived directly from international
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