The River Rima - House of Lords (Lord Bridge, Lord Brandon, Lord Brightman, Lord Ackner and Lord Goff) - 16 June 1988

Whether alleged conversion of containers subject to leasing agreement is a claim within Admiralty jurisdiction of High Court

The plaintiffs leased cargo containers to shipping companies. They entered into a “Lease Plan” agreement with the defendants, the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL), whereby the defendants would hire containers from the plaintiffs. When containers were on hire to the defendants the containers usually spent only 20% of their period of hire on board one of the defendants’ ships. At the time the defendants took delivery of any container from the depot run by the plaintiffs, the plaintiffs did not know on what ship such container, after being stuffed with cargo somewhere on land, would ultimately be carried.