A shipowner’s right to limit liability for certain maritime claims is enshrined in UK law, through implementation of specific international Conventions as adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Such a right exists save for in limited circumstances, as prescribed in a test for breaking shipowners’ right to limit liability as contained in the Conventions. However certain maritime cases, most notably the Spanish Supreme Court ruling of 2016 in the Prestige (2002), have highlighted significant inconsistencies over the meaning and understanding of this test and have raised serious questions over the future sustainability of the IMO Convention system governing limitation, liability and compensation for certain maritime claims, in particular ship sourced oil pollution damage.
This event will explain the ambitious and unprecedented work undertaken at the IMO to develop and agree a Unified Interpretation (UI) of the test for breaking shipowners’ right to limit liability, and the background to that work, the process involved in developing such a UI and the agreement that was ultimately reached.
The speakers include a number of persons who were involved in this work and who represent the shipowning, P&I and legal industries at the IMO.