The “Lady Magda” – Court of Appeal (Collins, Binchy and Pilkington JJ) [2021] IECA 7– 18 January 2021

Admiralty jurisdiction – Claim by port agents against shipowners for services provided to vessel – Port agents appointed by time charterers – Whether presumption that services were provided for benefit of shipowners – Whether shipowners liable

The plaintiffs were an Estonian company providing agency services to ships. Since 2012 they had provided ship agency services in Estonian and Latvian ports for Dennis Maritime Oy Ltd, the time charterers of the vessel Lady Magda and also for many other ships owned and/or operated by those time charterers.