Sucre Export SA v Northern River Shipping Ltd (The ""Sormovskiy 3068”) - QBD (Admlty Ct)(Clarke J) - 25 April 1994

Whether shipowners liable for delivering cargo without production of original bill of lading

The plaintiff charterers claimed damages from the defendant shipowners for breach of contract and conversion as the holders of a bill of lading dated 22 May 1992. That was a bill of lading which evidenced the shipment of 60,000 bags of sugar at Antwerp for carriage to St Petersburg. The bill of lading expressly provided that freight was to be payable and ""all terms and conditions” were to be as per the charterparty dated 8 May 1992. The charterparty was the Sugar Charterparty 1969 form for a voyage from Antwerp to St Petersburg.