Lloyd's Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly
INFORMATION
The Merchant Shipping (Sterling Equivalents) (Various Enactments) Order 1985—SI 1985/230 came into operation on 26 March 1985. The new sterling equivalents of the gold francs figures are as follows:
Part 1 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1974 and Sched. 1:
450 million gold francs—£24,838,000
900 million gold francs—£49,676,000
675 million gold francs—£37,257,000
(Substitute for 450 million gold francs figure)
Section 5(1) Merchant Shipping Act 1974:
1,500 gold frans —£82.79
2,000 gold francs —£110.39
125 million gold francs—£6,899,440
210 million gold francs—£11,591,100
Section 28 Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and para. 5 of Part II of Sched. 3 to the Merchant Shipping Act 1979—The Athens Convention:
This Order, unlike the one it supersedes, does not specify sterling equivalents for reference to gold francs for the purposes of the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and Others) Act 1958 (limitation of liability of shipowners and others by reference to tonnage). This is no longer required as a result of the entry into force of the Protocol of 21 December 1979 which amended the International Convention of 1975 relating to this topic by substituting SDRs for gold francs. The Protocol was implemented by ss. 1 and 3 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1981, which were brought into force by the No. 3 Commencement Order for that Act (SI 1984/1695) on 29 November 1984. (Reprinted from Lloyd’s Maritime Law Newsletter.)
Institute of Maritime Law. Shipping Documentation Course, 16–20 December After its successful course in International Trade Law and Practice in January 1985, the Institute of Maritime Law at Southampton University is arranging a follow-up programme entitled “Shipping Documentation in Export Sales and Carriage of Goods by Sea” to be held in December. Full programme details and application form are obtainable from: Mrs M. von Benko, Institute of Maritime Law, The University, Southampton, S09 5NH, England. Tel. (0703) 559122, ext. 3449. Telex 47661.
405