Article 293 — Claims against Government

(1) Where a person has a claim against the Governme nt, that claim may be enforced as of right by proceedings taken against the Government f or that purpose without the grant of a fiat or the use of the process known as petition of righ t. (2) The Government shall be subject to all those li abilities in tort to which, if it were a private person of full age and capacity, it would be subjec t— (a) in respect of torts committed by its employees or agents; (b) in respect of a breach of duties which a person owes to his employees or agents at common law or under any other law by reason of bein g their employer; and (c) in respect of a breach of the duties at common law or under any other law attached to the ownership, occupation, possession or control of pro perty. (3) No proceedings shall lie against the Government by virtue of paragraph (a) of clause (2) of this article in respect of an act or omission of an employee or agent of the Government unless the act or omission would, apart from this article, have given rise to a cause of action in tort against that employee or his estate. (4) Where the Government is bound by a statutory du ty which is binding also upon persons other than the Government and its officers, the Gov ernment shall, in respect of a failure to comply with that duty, be subject to all liabilitie s in tort to which it would be so subject if the Government were a private person of full age and ca pacity. (5) Where functions are conferred or imposed on an officer of the Government as such officer either by a rule of the common law or by statute an d that officer commits tort while performing or purporting to perform those functions , the liabilities of the Government in respect of the tort shall be what they would have b een if the functions had been conferred or imposed solely by virtue of instructions lawfully g iven by the Government. (6) No proceedings shall lie against the Government by virtue of this article in respect of— (a) anything done or omitted to be done by any pers on while discharging or purporting to discharge responsibilities of a judicial nature ves ted in him; or (b) any act, neglect or default of an officer of th e Government unless that officer— (i) has been directly or indirectly appointed by th e Government and was, at the material time, paid in respect of his duties as an officer of the Government wholly out of public funds or out of moneys provided by Parliament; or (ii) was, at the material time, holding an office i n respect of which the Public Services Commission certifies that the holder of that office would normally be so paid. (7) Where the Government is subject to a liability by virtue of this article, the law relating to indemnity and contribution shall be enforceable— (a) against the Government by an employee of the Go vernment who is acting in the proper execution of his duties in respect of the liability or by any other person in respect of the liability to which that person is subject; or (b) by the Government against any person other than an employee of the Government, in respect of the liability to which it is so subject, as if the Government were a private person of full age and capacity.