Punitive damage 懲罰的損害賠償金 ( FX、為替 ) - 投資日誌

Punitive damage 懲罰的損害賠償金

Punitive damage
懲罰的損害賠償金　

最近、ライブドア事件や村上ファンドに絡み、「一罰百戒」と言う言葉が聞かれますが、日本では、憲法違反と言うことらしいですが、欧米では盛んに行われるのがこれです。
Punitive damages, also known as exemplary damages, are damages that are separate and in excess of the compensatory damages awarded to a plaintiff in a legal suit that arises from the malicious or wanton misconduct of the defendant. Punitive damages are imposed to serve as a punishment for the defendant.

一般に、損害賠償と言いますと、以下のようなものが考えられます。
1. Compensatory damage 補償的損害賠償
Payments paid to someone who has been harmed or hurt in some way.

2. consequential damage 　結果（間接）損害
Happening as a direct result of a particular event or situation.

3.Punitive　damage　　懲罰的損害賠償
　Damages in order to reform or deter the defendant and similar persons from pursuing a course　of action such as that which damaged the plaintiff.
　
多くの民事訴訟で、元々は例外的な損害賠償とされてきましたが、最近は多くの訴訟で、認められています。多くの場合、以下のようなケースが多いと思われます。
Punitive damages are not awarded as often as compensatory damages. The judge will award you punitive damages only if the Defendant''s act was so horrible and offensive that the court believes it is important to make an example out of the Defendant. Punitive damages are not awarded to compensate you for your direct injuries or property damage (compensatory damages), but are instead added to the compensatory damages in order to discourage other would be wrongdoers from acting in a similar way. Punitive damages are just what they sound like, they "punish" the Defendant.

Product liability
Merger and acquisition disputes
Discrimination based on sex, race, or age
Professional liability

問題点としては、陪審員が、感情的に行動し、判決の社会的意味を認識しない場合もあります。

The potential size of a punitive damages award is unpredictable, and the process of arriving at it is just as arbitrary.
There are no maximums and no minimums as in criminal law – the jury alone determines the amount. Problems arise because juries sometimes act emotionally and without regard to the broader implications of their decisions.

マールボローを吸い続けた夫が、６７歳でなくなったケースは７９５０万ドルの懲戒的罰則金が請求されました。
Roberts and Alito are positioned to cast the deciding votes when the high court determines the constitutionality of a $79.5 million punitive damages award won by the widow of an Oregon smoker in a suit against Altria Group Inc.'s Philip Morris USA.

州によって違いますが、基本的には、
The conducts have to be either egregious or truely outrageous.

また最近では、その金額を、制限する動きも、多くなりました。
The law caps dameges to at $50,000-と$300,000　per plaintiff, depending on the size of the employer. And the ratio between the punitive damages and the compensatory damages has to be within 10 to 1 in some states.

と言うような例があります。基本的にはPL法等に絡み、企業のロビー活動から、懲罰的損害に上限を設ける動きが活発化しております。

この「懲罰的損害賠償」は日本では、日本では、憲法違反になるそうですが、最近、政府関係者の口からでる、一罰百戒と言う発言も、この線上の発言かも知れません。