Burmah Oil v Lord Advocate

The British commander in Burma pulled down the apparatus of the Burma Oil Company so as not to leave anything to the invading Japanese armies, but did not compensate the owners. This was lawful due to prerogative and this prerogative is not limited to cases of direct invasion to the UK. However the prerogative of using or destroying another’s property is limited, in that it must be accompanied by compensation, A-G v De Keysers being a precedent.