Shipping Law
The law applies in some form to every aspect of our lives, and this is especially so in shipping because it is such an international and complex business.
Nearly all practical documents of an international nature involved with shipping business are based on English law and the vast majority of international contracts for sale of commodities and the contracts of their carriage are governed by English law.
Shipping Law covers the most important areas of wet and dry law. Legal aspects of charter parties and bills of lading are examined and conventions on the carriage of goods by sea are discussed. Ship ownership and Admiralty jurisdiction, general average, salvage, towage, collision, dispute resolution and limitation of liability are considered.
Problems and disputes will arise in all aspects of shipping business and so Shipping Law will be of great value to all professionals involved in the business of shipping.
LEGAL ASPECTS OF CHARTER PARTIES
Concept and construction of a charter party; descriptive warranties, breaches and consequences; frustration; deviation; war risks and other protection clauses.
Safe port warranty; arrived ship; cancelling; notice of readiness.
Voyage charters – laytime, demurrage and despatch; damages for detention; freight, deadfreight and freight payment.
Time charters – payment of hire and remedies for non-payment; delivery, redelivery and offhire; responsibility for cargo; performance (speed and consumption).
Bareboat charters (newbuildings and second hand); lease charters; bareboat registry.
Time barring of actions; contractual time barring, statutory time barring.
CARRIAGE OF GOODS BY SEA CONVENTIONS
International cargo liability conventions, rules and revisions. Reasons for the introduction of rules, their application and their relationship with insurance. Common and private carriers; carriers’ liabilities.
The areas of dispute and litigations arising from the interpretation of the rules.
LEGAL ASPECTS OF BILLS OF LADING
The role and function of bills of lading and mate’s receipt.
Essential characteristics of liner bills including combined transport and through bills of lading.
Charter party bills of lading including difference between owners’ and charterers’ bills of lading.
Negotiability of title including Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1992 or equivalent national bills of lading acts.
Principal bills of lading clauses including identity of carrier, law and jurisdiction and Himalaya clause.
Standard protection clauses including Paramount, Jason, Both to Blame.
PASSENGERS
The application of International Conventions. Contract of carriage; rights and responsibilities of parties under Common Law and statute; limitation of liability for life injury and property claims.
MORTGAGE LAW APPLICABLE TO SHIPS
Unlike other aspects of ship-owning structures mortgages are still covered under English law in many jurisdictions.
ADMIRALTY JURISDICTION
Arrests; jurisdiction, types of claim, priority of claims.
Arrest conventions. Basic procedures of arrest; freezing orders.
GENERAL AVERAGE, SALVAGE AND TOWAGE
General Average; rationale, practice and rules. Salvage agreements; salvage arbitrations. Towage agreements.
ENVIRONMENT AND POLLUTION
Conventions and applicable law including criminal and civil law.
Pollution as a nuisance.
COLLISION
International Conventions; areas of conflict; apportionment of fault; measure of damages.
SHIPOWNERS’ LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY
International Conventions. Those entitled to limit; methods of calculation and distribution; how limitation may be broken.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Enabling clauses.
The procedures in litigation, arbitration and other systems of dispute resolution.
Arbitration locations and significant differences in procedures.
Acts and rules covering litigation hearings and arbitrations.
Damages – contract and tort.