Navigators Insurance Company Limited v Atlasnavios-Navegacao LDA [2018] UKSC 26 In a decision handed down yesterday (22 May) the Supreme Court held that where a vessel was used by unknown third parties in an unsuccessful attempt to export cocaine from Venezuela (by strapping a parcel of drugs to the vessel underwater), leading to a detention … Continue Reading
The Court of Appeal case Khanty-Mansiysk Recoveries Limited v Forsters LLP [2018] EWCA Civ 89 considers the ambit of settlement agreement wording and the extent to which this can cover future claims. Background facts Forsters LLP (“Forsters”) were solicitors who had been instructed by Rupert Galliers-Pratt (“RGP”) to assist with preparatory work required to incorporate … Continue Reading
A Rotterdam court has found Dutch reefer operator Seatrade and two of its directors criminally liable last week for illegally selling vessels for demolition in South Asian yards in breach of the EU Waste Shipment Regulation. The decision appears to be the first time an EU shipowner has been held criminally liable for the illegal … Continue Reading
On 2 February 2018 the Commercial Court allowed an appeal from a decision of the Arbitration Tribunal in Lukoil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd v Ocean Tankers Pte Ltd. The Judgment serves as a reminder to Owners to ensure that, if they have a claim for demurrage (no matter how it arises under the charter), as … Continue Reading
Trafigura Beheer Ltd v Renbrandt Ltd On 1 December the Commercial Court gave a judgment for the Claimant seller in this matter, which arose out of the sale of a cargo of gas oil in 2008. The facts The cargo was to be loaded by STS transfer from a mother vessel. The Quality clause in … Continue Reading
Transgrain Shipping (Singapore) Pte Ltd V Yangtze Navigation (Hong Kong) Co Ltd [2017] EWCA Civ 2107 This was a further appeal, to the Court of Appeal, from an LMAA arbitration award, considering the true construction of the sweep-up provision at sub-clause 8(d) of the Inter-Club Agreement 1996 (“ICA ‘96”); specifically, whether the meaning of the … Continue Reading
The London Circuit Commercial Court has held that the well established common law rule in shipping law that “a claim in respect of cargo cannot be asserted by way of a deduction from freight” extends to air freight. In this landmark case, the contract was for the carriage of chia seeds between a well known … Continue Reading
By way of follow up to our blog on this matter dated 3 May 2016, the Commercial Court heard a further arbitration appeal earlier this month arising out of the detention of the vessel at Puerto la Cruz on 19 September 2014. The vessel was chartered on an amended Shelltime 4 form, and the vessel … Continue Reading
Sino Channel Asia Ltd v Dana Shipping & Trading Pte Singapore Ltd & Anr [2017] EWCA Civ 1703 Background The case looks at the question of when notices of arbitration passed to a counterparty’s agent can be considered effective service on the counterparty in circumstances where that the agent is not authorised to receive the … Continue Reading
This week the Commercial Court handed down judgment in Tonicstar Limited v (1) Allianz Insurance PLC; (2) Sirius International Insurance Corporation ( PUBL) (London Branch) [2017] EWHC 2753, a matter where the question was whether a barrister was a person “with not less than 10 years’ experience of insurance or reinsurance” for the purposes of … Continue Reading
The Pacific Voyager [2017] EWHC 2579 is a Commercial Court decision about which a number of articles have been written over the last week. It considers the often neglected approach voyage; identifying the moment when the duty to proceed with utmost despatch to the loadport arises under a voyage charter; and whether that obligation is … Continue Reading
On 25 October 2017, the English Supreme Court handed down judgment in Mitsui & Co Ltd and Others v Beteiligungsgesellschaft LPG Tankerflotte MBH & Co KG and Another (The “Longchamp”). The case provided the Supreme Court a rare opportunity to consider and interpret the York Antwerp Rules 1974 (in particular Rule F), which are more … Continue Reading
Earlier this month the Commercial Court handed down an interesting judgment which considered the question of when a cargo is the “subject of the [arbitral] proceedings”, so as to give rise to a power to order the sale of the cargo under Section 44(2)(d) Arbitration Act 1996 – Dainford Navigation Inc v PDVSA Petroleo SA … Continue Reading
The High Court has handed down Judgment in Vitol SA v Beta Renowable SA [2017] EWHC 1734 (Comm) highlighting the importance of ensuring that communication and conduct for the purpose of accepting repudiatory breach is clear and unambiguous. This concerned a contractual dispute between Vitol, a major oil trader, and Beta Renowable Group, a manufacturer … Continue Reading
In March this year the Admiralty Court in London handed down its judgment in respect of a collision between “Alexandra 1” (“A1”) and “Ever Smart” (“ES”) (see: Nautical Challenge Ltd v Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd [2017] EWHC 453 (Admlty)). This blog takes a look at the judgment, which serves to clarify the positon on the … Continue Reading
The Supreme Court has today handed down Judgment allowing Owners’ appeal in the “New Flamenco” (see our previous blog of 2 March 2016 and our Client Alerts of 25 February 2016 and 8 November 2016). For those of you who are not familiar with the case, Charterers were in repudiatory breach of the Charterparty, which … Continue Reading
NAVALMAR UK LTD V KALE MADEN HAMMADDELER SANAYI VE TICART AS [2017] EWHC 116 (COMM) – The MV “ARUNDEL CASTLE” In this case the Commercial Court considered the meaning of “within port limits” in the context of a charterparty on an amended Gencon 94 form which provided that: “[Notice of readiness] to be tendered at … Continue Reading
In a recent decision, the Paris Court of Appeal refused to enforce an LMAA arbitral award on the basis that the underlying contract was affected by illegality on account of corruption. Introduction Pursuant to article V of the 1958 New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, a national authority may … Continue Reading
TRANSGRAIN SHIPPING (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD v YANGTZE NAVIGATION (HONG KONG) CO LTD [2016] EWHC 3132 This was an appeal from an LMAA arbitration award, considering the true construction of clause 8(d) of the Inter-Club Agreement 1996 (“ICA”); specifically, whether the meaning of the term “act” in the phrase “act or neglect” should be restricted to … Continue Reading
REGULUS SHIP SERVICES PTE LTD v (1) LUNDIN SERVICES BV (2) IKDAM PRODUCTION SA [2016] EWHC 2674 (Comm) In this case, the meaning of the term “in light ballast condition” came up for consideration by the Court for a second time. The irony being that the earlier precedent derived from another dispute that the same … Continue Reading
In a watershed decision concerning the scope of maritime liens under the U.S. Commercial Instruments and Maritime Lien Act (“CIMLA”), the District Court for the Southern District of New York recently held that OW Bunker entities did not have valid maritime liens for the supply of bunkers to vessels. In the first decision by a … Continue Reading
A recent decision provides authority for the broadly accepted understanding that a “unit”, for the purposes of limitation under Article IV Rule 5 of the Hague Rules, cannot apply to a bulk cargo – it can only mean a physical unit for shipment and not a unit of measurement or a customary freight unit (the … Continue Reading
The Privy Council has confirmed that it is possible to contract out the right to limit liability, and so operators must be vigilant in ensuring this does not inadvertently happen, write Mark O’Neil and Anushka Karunaratne in Tradewinds. The full article can be read here.… Continue Reading
The Supreme Court rules that a collateral lie embellishing a valid claim does not amount to a fraudulent claim. Versloot Dredging BV and another (Appellants) v HDI Gerling Industrie Versicherung AG and others [2016] UKSC 45 Facts The vessel DC Merwestone was incapacitated by an ingress of water which flooded the engine room. A claim … Continue Reading
