The Helene Roth - Mr. Justice Sheen - Q.B. (Adm.Ct.) - Dec. 7, 1979

Renewal of writ in rem - Change of ownership

The plaintiffs, a Canadian company, were ship chandlers. In 1977 they made disbursements for the ship Royal Clipper as agents of, and for the account of, Joseph Roth (Cyprus) Shipping Co. Ltd. An action in rem against three ships owned by Joseph Roth was started in Nov. 1978 as they had not been reimbursed. Lloyd’s Intelligence department was employed to monitor the ships’ movements. None of them came within the jurisdiction and so the writ in the action was allowed to lapse on Nov. 8, 1979. On Nov. 23 the plaintiffs applied to the Admiralty Registrar under O.6, r.8 for an extension of the validity of the writ became Helene Roth had docked in London on Nov. 18. The writ was renewed on Nov. 26 and the ship arrested.