Admiralty and Casualty

On November 28th 2017, over four years after their original arrest, the crew and men from the Seaman Guard Ohio were released having been acquitted of all charges by the Indian High Court in Medurai. They were driven from Chennai Central prison having won, not only what one of the men’s sisters described as their “battle […]

There is one good reason why there are many more solicitors dealing with marine claims than in the offshore and energy sectors. In traditional shipping, the parties are frequently in dog-fights over damage to cargo, demurrage, unpaid or disputed hire, general average and, of course, the occasional unexpected bump, towage or salvage. Conversely, energy and […]

This article argues that over-reliance on the ability of a tug and its crew to be able to prevent the vessel from capsizing is common to many incidents. I have not been on board a girting tug, nor want to be. I do know that when a yacht broaches in high winds or a dinghy gybes […]

Following the recent decision in London in the B Atlantic, this article considers whether the assured would have had their claim for a CTL paid had the B Atlantic been insured under the Nordic Plan.   What the English Courts decided under the Institute War Risk Clauses For the purposes of determining liability in the B […]

Increasingly port authorities are insisting on escort tug arrangements for visiting tankers, a trend that has gathered pace in recent years albeit long since the groundings of the Sea Empress and Exxon Valdez highlighted the potential benefit. Around the UK coast compulsory escort arrangements are in force under local harbour regulations and much the same […]

The industry led by the International Chamber of Shipping have welcomed the decision of the UN Federal Climate Change Commission to exclude shipping from its regulatory framework. This is not uniformly supported even amongst shipowners but it seems that the IMO will continue to take the lead when it comes to controlling emissions. In the […]