Lloyd's Maritime Law Newsletter

Charterparty – Owners bringing arbitration proceedings against charterers – Owners claiming indemnity in relation to losses incurred in defending third-party cargo claim in Belgian courts – Owners and charterers concluding settlement agreement – Whether owners entitled to recover indemnity in respect of legal costs incurred in Belgian proceedings – Whether owners entitled to recover 50 per cent of legal costs under Inter-Club Agreement

Sale of goods – Contract for sale of milling wheat fob Novorossiysk – Russian government issuing export ban – Whether sellers entitled to cancel contract – Whether cancellation constituted wrongful repudiation of contract – GAFTA Prohibition Clause – Whether sellers entitled to nominal damages only – GAFTA Default Clause

Arbitration – Jurisdiction – Whether arbitrator had substantive jurisdiction – Whether parties agreed terms of time charter including London arbitration clause

Charterparty – Synacomex 90 form – Contracts of carriage of bags of rice incorporating Synacomex 90 charterparty – Claimant cargo interests alleging cargo damage and short delivery – Whether incorporated charterparty transferred responsibility for loading and stowage from carrier to charterers/cargo interests

Arbitration – Jurisdiction – Owners concluding charterparty with non-existent company as charterers – Charterparty containing London arbitration clause – Owners asserting arbitration claim for demurrage against chartering brokers – Whether brokers party to charterparty – Whether brokers purporting to act on behalf of charterers – Whether arbitration tribunal had substantive jurisdiction – Whether brokers negligent

Demurrage – Intermediate engagement – Charterers agreeing to amendment of laycan dates – Vessel delayed at discharge port – Whether charterers liable for demurrage – Whether owners failed to prosecute voyage with all reasonable despatch

Practice – Contribution claim – Defendant employer claiming contribution from sea carrier in respect of liability to passenger for personal injuries – Athens Convention 1974 – Whether Convention extended to contribution claims against carrier – Whether Convention time bar “extinguished” relevant right