Tag: maritime law

According to the statement issued by Mexico's Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), 19 Filipino seafarers were detained in Mexico over alleged violation of the country's illegal drug law. DFA stated that no formal charges have been filed against the detained seafarers yet, but local officials are cooperating with Mexican authorities. 

The trend of the increasing ship sizes has major benefits for maritime transport, but a mega box ship casualty will result in a number of losses and third party liabilities for an owner. In this article, Revecca Vasiliou and Ursula O'Donnell, Divisional Claims Directors at the Standard P&I Club, discuss the major areas of P&I cover that respond to a major mega box ship casualty.

The Maritime Law to be implemented by the UAE, aims to protect abandoned seafarers, extinguish 'ghost ships' in its waters and allow 100% foreign ownership of maritime companies. The maritime law will come into force by early next year.

Saudi Arabia introduced, for the first time, a bespoke Commercial Maritime Law, the Maritime Law, which came into effect on 3 July 2019. According to Lexigram, the Maritime Law applies to all Saudi Arabia-flagged vessel and foreign ones that arrive at the Kingdom's ports and territorial waters. 

The UK Club issued a Legal Update informing that a recent court decision cemented a precedent judgement in favour of the operator, regarding at which point “carriage” concludes for the purpose of the Athens Convention in the context of passengers disembarking from a cruise ship.

The Shipowners Club issued a revised edition of its 'Drugs and Alcohol at Sea' booklet, to encourage healthy lifestyle onboard. The guide includes signs to assist operators in identifying drug and alcohol related issues onboard, legal implications, as well as loss prevention advice. 

The Standard P&I Club issued a guide analyzing how the law in a particular offshore jurisdiction may impact the enforceability of key contractual provisions, to help operators who are exploring new opportunities in diverse territories. The guide provides a snapshot view for the selected countries.

As part of its efforts to improve the way its treaties and conventions are implemented at a national level, the IMO offered an intensive 5-day workshop for lawyers and legislative drafters at IMO Headquarters, on 1-5 October, to provide them with the tools they need to understand the treaties.

Liberia Maritime Authority issued a document to assist Masters on their responsibilities under Liberian Law and provide guidance to ensure a positive PSC inspection. Under Liberian Regulation 2.35, it is the responsibility of owners and masters to ensure compliance with all applicable international conventions.

The shipping industry is characterized by a great deal of scepticism and is too slow in gearing up to face the cyber risk and deal with the forthcoming regulatory changes around cyber, said Philp Roche, partner of Norton Rose Fulbright in a recent interview posted on the law firm's website.