A growing trend of criminalising seafarers: cause for concern?

James Broomhall, at Grosvenor Law, considers the rise in criminalisation incidents and takes a closer look at the Solong incident

In recent years we have seen a concerning trend within the maritime industry: the criminalisation of seafarers, especially ship captains, following maritime incidents. While corporate entities often escape meaningful accountability, captains find themselves facing criminal charges, professional ruin and, in some cases, imprisonment. This raises significant questions about fairness, responsibility and what this means for the broader shipping industry.