侵權行為人死亡後之懲罰性賠償金責任研究

A Study on the Liability of Punitive Damages After the Death of the Tortfeasor

英美普通法早期格言認為「人之訴權，隨人之死亡而消滅」，從而侵權行為人死亡，對之所為的侵權之訴即無倖存，被害人所受之損害則無填補。於是，現今英美諸國均制訂《遺存訴因法》，以匡正普通法之缺失。然因此等法令於立法之初係基於被害人損害填補目的而設，未有思考到懲罰性賠償金之問題，從而適用上即生疑慮。對此，美國法上已有正反意見論述，且多數州係採否定立場，即侵權行為人死亡後，其懲罰性賠償金不具遺存性。然反觀我國《消費者保護法》對此問題之研究與規定卻付之闕如，從而本文即以美國法為本，試圖從法政策及法解釋角度對我國法制提出建議，即基於懲罰性賠償金制度目的及其責任專屬性，應認侵權行為人死亡後，其懲罰性賠償金責任即告消滅，原告不得在訴訟中對其繼承人或遺產管理人請求該賠償金。

The early maxim ''Actio personalis moritur cum persona'' is used in the Common Law system (Anglo-American Law). Under this principle, when the tortfeasor is dead the action for infringement shall be terminated and the damages of the victim cannot be fully compensated. Therefore, the US, the UK and other countries that follow this legal system have regulated their survival statutes to amend the long-standing weakness existing in Common Law. However, these statutes were originally made to compensate the damages of the victim, but the matter of survival regarding the liability of punitive damages does not consider that doubt is raised when using them. At this point, there is a discussion surrounding positive and negative opinions in Common Law and most states take a negative position, which means the liability of punitive damages should be terminated when the tortfeasor is dead. It is a pity that when the punitive damages system was introduced to the Consumer Protection Act in our country, the legal systems of those countries did not completely understand that the provisions of this matter have been neglected and a positive position had been taken unreasonably by judicial practice and habits. In this regard, this study gives an analysis of the positive and negative opinions surrounding this issue in Common Law, and offers a suggestion to make a revision from the perspectives of legal policy and interpretation of the laws. This means the liability of punitive damages should be terminated when the tortfeasor is dead due to the fact that liability is specific to people and the purpose of the punitive damages system should be implemented.