Because the liability of ship owners is limited, classification societies have been considered as exempt from liability. This book analyses which actions of classification societies may give rise to claims and whether or not the societies can be held liable under English, German or American maritime law. In addition, it develops the fundamental aspects of an international convention on the limitation of the liability of classification societies.
With the worldwide upsurge of lawsuits against classification societies, their liability towards third parties has become one of the most contentious issues in contemporary maritime law. Against this background, the authors analyze potential third-party claims and examine to what extent classification societies may limit their liability. The study highlights the development in Australian, English, French, New Zealand, U.S. and German law.
This book addresses the topical and current issues in maritime law and brings them together into a coherent strand by the common perspective of liabilities for the professional reader. Liability Regimes in Contemporary Maritime Law appeals to both the industry and the legal profession and provides a degree of analysis and discussion, while also bringing together in a single volume the essential interest in a range of individual subject areas.
Because the liability of ship owners is limited, classification societies have been considered as exempt from liability. This book analyses which actions of classification societies may give rise to claims and whether or not the societies can be held liable under English, German or American maritime law. In addition, it develops the fundamental aspects of an international convention on the limitation of the liability of classification societies.
Limitation of liability for maritime claims is a concept of respectable antiquity which is now deeply entrenched in the maritime industry. Under this concept, the shipowner is entitled to limit his liability for maritime claims up to a maximum sum regardless of the actual amount of the claims. The concept of limitation of liability has been adopted by many conventions ranging from those relating to the carriage of goods by sea, carriage of passengers and their luggage by sea, liability and compensation for pollution damage, to liability for the removal of wrecks. Each of these conventions has its own approach to limitation of liability. However, these particular liability regimes share the international arena with global limitation conventions such as the 1976 Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims and the 1996 Protocol thereto. This book approaches limitation of liability from an international perspective looking at a number of key conventions including the global limitation conventions, the conventions relating to the carriage of passengers and their luggage by sea (1974 Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and Their Luggage by Sea and the 2002 Protocol thereto), conventions relating to liability and compensation for pollution damage (1969 International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage and the 1992 Protocol thereto, the 1996 International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea and the 2010 Protocol thereto, and the 2001 International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage), as well as the 2007 Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks. Each chapter of this book sets out to analyze provisions in the conventions which have proved to be controversial and subject to debate by courts and authors, as well as the relationship between the limitation provisions in claim specific liability conventions and in the global limitation conventions. Particular attention is also given to the persons entitled to limit liability, ships in respect of which liability can be limited, claims subject to limitation, claims excepted from limitation, basis of liability (where applicable), loss of the right to limit, and the limits of liability. Limitation of Liability in International Maritime Conventions is of interest to academics and practicing lawyers who wish to understand the intricacies of the law of limitation.
Lucidly explaining the legal principles of Admiralty Law in a modern context, this new edition has been fully revised and updated to include recent case law and legislation, including extensive treatment of developments within the EC. Examining the law within a commercial perspective with suggestions for how legal risks should be managed, this is the ideal text for postgraduates studying admiralty or shipping law as well as professionals within the shipping industry. The intricate rules of the Brussels/Lugano Conventions are explained alongside conflict of jurisdictions, and the application of the forum non-conveniens, doctrine and forum shopping. Breach of jurisdiction agreements and remedies are also discussed and the vexed issues of anti-suit injunctions are dealt with comprehensively. Modern Admiralty Law analyses the corporate structures of ship owning companies and the circumstances in which the corporate veil may be pierced; suggestions for legitimate corporate structures for the purpose of risk management are also put forward. The consequences of non-compliance with the ISM Code are considered (such as potential criminal liability, the effect of non-compliance upon insurance contracts and limitation of liability), alongside an update of further measures being taken by the EC and the IMO on safety of ships and cleaner seas. An ideal reference tool, the new edition of this popular and comprehensive text includes summaries of the principles and case law and encourages further investigation. The practical and commercial orientation of this book will be of great benefit to readers studying the subject as an academic discipline as well as those who work in the area. From admiralty jurisdiction to limitation of liability, all aspects of admiralty law are thoroughly investigated, with recent developments providing new insights for this modern approach to admiralty law. This new edition is essential reading for postgraduates, practitioners, ship owners and managers, and a wide range of professionals within the shipping industry.
Certification and Collective Marks is a thoroughly updated and augmented edition of Certification Marks, first published in 2002. This comprehensive study forms a wide-ranging inquiry, with comparisons of the certification and collective mark systems of the UK, EU and US, whilst also referring to other systems. In addition to the laws and policies impacting ownership and use of these marks, also addressed are their historical development, registration and protection, certifiers’ liability, legal and commercial significance, use in regulatory and technical standardization frameworks, and emergent sui generis forms of certification, namely ecolabels and electronic authentication marks in digital content. This publication is especially timely in light of the advent of the EU certification mark and the controversial EU proposals to extend the Geographical Indications system to include non-agri-food products.
Third-Party Certifiers Jan De Bruyne Third-party certifiers are organisations that are independent a requesting entity. They attest that a product, service, information or person possesses certain qualifications or meets safety, quality or technical standards. This important book presents an in-depth analysis of the liability and obligations of certifiers, evaluates existing certification processes in selected fields and proposes new mechanisms which could increase the accuracy and reliability of certifiers’ ratings, marks or reports. Highlighting the risks of errors in this activity – inaccurate certification was a major factor in the global financial crisis of 2008 – the author takes a comparative approach, looking at the certification process in several European countries, Australia and the United States. Such aspects of the process as the following are thoroughly described: obligations and liability of certifiers during the certification process; risk of ‘information asymmetry’ between the requesting entity and the end user; and relationship between the civil liability of certifiers and public law aspects. The analysis includes detailed research on key industries and jurisdictions and a specific proposed framework for more accurate and reliable certification. Because the efficient and effective functioning of third-party certifiers is extremely important in today’s world – especially in such areas as health, the environment, safety or economic values – this deeply researched contribution to an important area of commercial law, combining analysis of current issues with proposed reforms, will be welcomed by practitioners when confronted with legal issues with regard to the certification process. The book’s conceptual framework will also prove highly useful for policymakers charged with developing reliable certification mechanisms.
This book addresses the topical and current issues in maritime law and brings them together into a coherent strand by the common perspective of liabilities for the professional reader. Liability Regimes in Contemporary Maritime Law appeals to both the industry and the legal profession and provides a degree of analysis and discussion, while also bringing together in a single volume the essential interest in a range of individual subject areas.
This book presents a study on civil liability for accidents at sea, with a focus on the interests of parties that are not contractually participating in the maritime enterprise. Shipping and the maritime offshore industry are among the most international businesses in the world, and the operation of ships and facilities at sea can involve very different interests in a wide variety of relationships. Although there is an international legal framework that covers the most frequent types of cases, questions remain regarding the interplay of international and national legislation. Addressing those questions, the first part of this study analyses the rules and the limits of international regulation applicable at sea, namely regarding compensation for pollution damage. The second part focuses on the jurisdictional rules and conflict-of-law rules that may be used to deal with cases beyond the scope of international legislation, in accordance with the law of the sea.
