Lloyd's Maritime Law Newsletter

Admiralty jurisdiction – Action in rem based on maritime lien – Time-charterers failing to pay for bunkers supplied to vessel – Bunker suppliers arresting vessel in Australia on basis of maritime lien under United States or Canadian law – Whether foreign maritime lien recognised under Australian law – Whether court had in rem jurisdiction

Carriage of goods by sea – Package limitation – 1924 Hague Rules, article IV rule 5 – Whether package limitation capable of applying to bulk cargo – Meaning of “unit”

Limitation of liability – Conduct barring limitation – Vessel catching fire in Gulf of Aden and subsequently flooding and sinking – Owners seeking limitation decree – Whether owners barred from limiting liability – Whether loss resulted from owners’ personal act or omission committed with the intent to cause loss – Convention on Limitation for Liability of Maritime Claims 1976, article 4

Carriage of goods by sea – Bunkers shipped onboard vessels as cargoes for onward delivery – Shipowners issuing bills of lading – Bunker supplier remaining unpaid – Shipowners delivering bunker cargoes without production of bills of lading – Bunker supplier bringing proceedings against shipowners – Whether bills of lading operated as contractual document – Whether bunker supplier entitled to summary judgment

Admiralty jurisdiction – Action in rem based on maritime lien – Shipowners failing to pay for bunkers supplied to vessel – Whether physical bunker suppliers had maritime lien against vessel – Summary judgment

Admiralty practice – Priorities – Ranking of unregistered mortgagee

Practice – Interpleader – Sale of goods – Buyer becoming insolvent – Goods in possession of buyer’s freight forwarder – Seller exercising right of stoppage in transitu – Whether freight forwarder entitled to interplead – Whether freight forwarder liable to seller in conversion

Towage - Towcon providing that tow should be provided in light ballast condition - Whether tow in light ballast condition - Whether tugowner entitled to delay payments - Whether tugowner warranted average speed of about 4.5 knots - Whether Towcon repudiated by hirer or by tugowner

Carriage of goods by sea – Consignments of bagged coffee beans in containers carried on LCL/FCL terms – Cargo found to be damaged by condensation – Burden of proof – Inherent vice – Whether damage inevitable – Whether carrier failed properly and carefully to load and carry the goods – Temporal scope of Hague Rules