Jurisdiction and Arbitration Agreements in Contracts for the Carriage of Goods by Sea focuses on party autonomy and its limitations in relation to jurisdiction and arbitration clauses included in contracts for the carriage of goods by sea in case of any cargo dispute. The author takes the perspective of the shipping companies and the shipowners, as these are the driving forces of the shipping industry due to their strategic importance. The book provides an analysis of the existing law on the recognition and validity of jurisdiction and arbitration clauses in the contracts for the carriage of goods by sea. The author also seeks to provide conclusions and to learn lessons for the future of the non-recognition and the non-enforcement of the clauses in the existing fragmented legal framework at an international, European Union, and national level (England & Wales and Spain). The interface between the different legal regimes reveals the lack of international harmonisation and the existence of ‘forum shopping’ when a cargo interest sues the shipowner or the party to whom the shipowner charters the vessel. This concise book provides a useful overview of existing research, for students, scholars and shipping lawyers
Theory, Law and Practice of Maritime Arbitration The Case of International Contracts for the Carriage of Goods by Sea Eva Litina It is estimated that over 80% of global trade by volume is carried by sea, making maritime transport a cornerstone of the global economy. Most disputes in the shipping industry are settled by distinctive, private arbitral proceedings that are best understood by a close examination of the standard form contracts that are used in practice and of the case law arising therefrom. Extrapolating insightfully from these sources, the author of this book examines in depth the phenomenon of maritime arbitration with a specific focus on contracts for the carriage of goods by sea. She offers the first comprehensive and comparative analysis of arbitral practice in the three jurisdictions where the most frequently selected maritime arbitral seats are located: London, New York, and Singapore. An analysis of the applicable rules and relevant case law in each jurisdiction provides the basis from which a comparative assessment of maritime arbitral seats is achieved. The book addresses the following key aspects of maritime arbitration: maritime arbitration’s definition, origins, theoretical underpinnings, socioeconomic context, and significance; the maritime-specific reasons for wide use of ad hoc versus institutional arbitration; the international instruments governing arbitration in contracts for the carriage of goods by sea; the shipping industry’s pursuit of self-regulation via standard form contracts; the arbitration agreement contained in standard form charterparties and bills of lading; maritime arbitration’s unique approach to judicial review, confidentiality, and arbitrator impartiality; the specific dispute resolution objectives that compel a comparative assessment of maritime arbitral seats; and the future of maritime arbitration in light of international political, financial, and technological developments. In addition to the three main maritime arbitral seats, the analysis touches on maritime arbitration in other relevant jurisdictions, such as Hong Kong, Greece, Japan, and Korea, thus affording a comparison of the process in common and civil law jurisdictions. The book concludes by considering the potential impact of the current international political landscape, and suggesting future perspectives and research in international maritime arbitration. An important addition to scholarship in this field of law, the book’s thorough assessment of the merits of the competing maritime arbitral seats—and its specific focus on maritime disputes—will prove of significant importance to arbitrators, law firms, in-house counsel of shipping companies, international organizations, and arbitration institutions and associations. Practitioners will discover all tools necessary to examine any case before the main maritime arbitral seats with full awareness of each applicable legal regime and its distinguishing features.
This book is based on papers presented at the Sixth International Colloquium organised by the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law, Swansea University, in September 2009. The sixteen contributions have been written by a team of international experts who collectively submit the newly proposed Rotterdam Rules to asustained, penetrative and comprehensive analysis. The scale of the Rotterdam Rules is staggeringly wide, as also are their detail and complexity, and coming to a full understanding of the provisions and implications ofthe Rules represents a challenge even to those experienced in the law and practice of commercial shipping. This book examines virtually all aspects of the Rules and will provide an effective, reliable and readable guide to everyone seeking a complete grasp of the Rules.
Arbitration clauses are sacrosanct in maritime contracts. Standard forms of charterparties and bills of lading reflect a desire to trade over the trusted dispute resolution choice of arbitration. However, when incorporating arbitration clauses, disputes and interpretational complexities continue to arise evidencing that the law is not settled yet. This book introduces a holistic evaluation of the commercial reasons and the legal principles that permeate the incorporation of arbitration clauses in modern maritime contracts, contrasting arbitration with exclusive jurisdiction clauses, where appropriate. The book presents a modern specialised legal study of incorporation of arbitration clauses into maritime contracts, considering recent developments and long-established principles of incorporation. Offering a thorough research into English, European, and Chinese law, with the objective to assess how the incorporation of arbitration principles crystallises through the years, the book will be of interest to researchers, legal practitioners, and commercial parties.
The Rotterdam Rules represent the most comprehensive overhaul of the law of carriage of goods by sea in more than fifty years. To coincide with the signing ceremony, six members of the Institute of Maritime Law have written a detailed commentary on the Rules. The Rotterdam Rules: A Practical Annotation examines the text of the Rules, all ninety-six articles of the new Convention, and compares them to the text of the Hague-Visby Rules, the instrument currently covering most bills of lading. The authors have also examined the judgments in cases decided in the English Courts under the Carriage of Goods by Sea Acts of 1971 and 1992 and have indicated whether these cases would be decided differently under the new Rotterdam Rules.
The international carriage of goods by sea has been regulated by international conventions. These include the “International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bills of Lading” (“Hague Rules”); the “Protocol to Amend the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law Relating to Bills of Lading” (“Visby Rules”); and the “UN Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea." They were adopted in 1924, 1968 and 1978 respectively and the transport industry's commercial needs have since substantially changed. Furthermore the advent of subsequent regimes has resulted in the uniformity in the carriage of goods by sea once provided by the Hague Rules being lost. In order to update and modernize existing regimes the “UN Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea” (“Rotterdam Rules”) was adopted on December 11, 2008 by the UN General Assembly and opened for signature on September 23, 2009. Since then drafters of the Rotterdam Rules, academics and practitioners have been publicizing, discussing, and evaluating the Rules. This book is an effort to further explore those same goals.
This book, written in three parts, covers the basics of the international trade, financing and the legal framework related to the law of carriage of goods by sea, elaborates on bills of lading in depth and sea waybills and ship’s delivery orders in brief and charterparties in depth. While the book is based on the English law, cases and materials from other jurisdictions, particularly Singapore, Malaysia, India, the USA, and Australia are brought in to provide an international perspective. The practical analyses, commentary and critiques of cases would be a useful guide for practitioners in developing case arguments. Although written with practitioners, academicians and students in mind, the book will also serve as a useful guide for sea carriers, freight forwarders, international traders, financiers, etc. as the complex subject is presented in reader-friendly and easy to grasp manner.
Ever-increasing numbers of dangerous goods are carried by sea today. Worldwide concern with the risk posed by this increased frequency has led to the adoption of international technical standards to promote maritime safety and the insertion of special provisions in the carriage contracts. Moreover, growing environmental awareness and concern with the economic cost implications of maritime casualties have given rise to the regulation of liability and compensation.
Cases Materials on the Carriage of Goods by Sea includes a collection of legislative material, standard form contracts and up-to-date coverage of English case law. It covers the major areas of chartering and bills of lading, as well as matters such as exclusion and limitation of liability. This edition has been comprehensively updated and adds the latest cases to its strong coverage of classic authorities. Notable additions in the chapters dealing with bills of lading include The Starsin, The Rafaela S, Motis Exports and The David Agmashenebeli. On the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1992, the important decisions of The Berge Sisar and East West Corp are incorporated, while key recent decisions on chartering, such as The Hill Harmony, The Happy Day and The Stolt Spur are fully treated. This book provides an up-to-date collection of materials relating to the carriage of goods by sea which will be of value to both students of law and legal practitioners.
Cases and Materials on the Carriage of Goods by Sea, fifth edition, offers tailored coverage of the most commonly taught topics on Carriage of Goods by Sea courses. Combining a collection of legislative materials, commentaries, scholarly articles, standard forms and up-to-date English case law, it covers the major areas of chartering and bills of lading as well as matters such as exclusion and limitation of liability. Significant innovations for this edition include: coverage of blockchain technology and smart contracts in shipping coverage of autonomous shipping recent developments on the construction of commercial shipping contracts recent developments on the transfer of rights and liabilities in the contract of carriage tables and diagrams for ease of reading discussion of some of the most important decisions by the senior courts of England and Wales, with the most up to date case law included references to academic and professional literature for further reading and research industry standard form clauses reference to important foreign cases emphasis on how it is that shipping law operates and is applied in commercial practice A clear, student-friendly text design with a strong emphasis on research and problem solving. This up-to-date collection of materials relating to the carriage of goods by sea will be of value to students of law, researchers and legal practitioners.
