The Admiralty Court is a specialist court, part of the Business and Property Courts of the High Court of Justice, which deals with shipping and maritime disputes. Information here on the GOV.UK portal site includes the current edition of the Admiralty and Commercial Courts Guide and other guidance, forms, daily cause lists, practice directions, and information on the judges of the Admiralty and Commercial Courts. There is a link to decisions 1999 onwards on the BAILII site.
This site, which focuses on Canadian maritime, admiralty and shipping law, is currently maintained by Darren Williams and Robert Anderson of the British Columbia law firm League and Williams. The subject is divided into categories, listed on the left, and within each category are case summaries, prefaced by an introduction. The relevant Canadian statutes are reproduced and there is a selection of papers and speeches by various authors. There are links to maritime law sites, and some more general ones, from many countries.
Comité Maritime International (CMI) is an international non-governmental organisation, founded in 1897, whose aim is the unification of all aspects of maritime law. Site content includes information on the status of ratification of maritime conventions and a database containing summaries of decisions by national courts on the interpretation of maritime conventions. Publications available for download include the CMI Yearbook 1978 onwards, and documents either on-site or downloadable include the York-Antwerp Rules 1994, 2004 and 2016.
New Notes on recent cases in the UK and other jurisdictions, mostly relating to shipping and insurance, are provided on this site by David Martin-Clark, a barrister, maritime arbitrator, and consultant in shipping and insurance. Content most recently updated on 8 October 2018.
Elborne Mitchell LLP is a City of London solicitors’ firm whose specialisms include insurance, reinsurance, shipping and commercial matters. Its web site includes, in its “Know How” section, over a hundred articles 1997 onwards on these and other topics, written by partners in the firm either specially for the site or for various (mainly insurance) publications.
The Hull-based stern trawler F.V. Gaul was lost in very bad weather in Arctic waters, with all 36 crew members, in February 1974. This site, now archived by the National Archives, has information and documentation, including hearing transcripts and reports, relating both to the original formal investigation in 1974 and to the reopened formal investigation in 2004, which followed discovery of the wreck in 1997 and underwater surveys carried out in 1998 and 2002.
Forwarderlaw is an informal international network of maritime and transportation lawyers. Its website provides articles, commentary and case notes relating to developments in the global logistics, freight forwarding and shipping industries.
This is the web site of international commercial law firm Ince Gordon Dadds LLP. The site’s Library section includes articles and updates on various topics including insurance and reinsurance law and shipping and trade. A “Shipping E-brief” is published several times a year.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the United Nations agency responsible for promoting maritime safety and preventing pollution from ships. Although the texts of conventions for which the IMO is responsible are not included on the site, there is a complete list of the conventions, summaries, details of status and ratifications, and extensive historical and other background information.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is an independent judicial body established by the United Nations to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The site includes information on procedure before the Tribunal; judgments and related documents; details of pending cases (under the heading “Docket”); press releases 1996 onwards; and links to the text of the Convention and current status information on the United Nations Oceans and Law of the Sea site.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), an independent unit within the Department for Transport, examines and investigates all types of marine accidents to or on board UK vessels worldwide, and all vessels in UK territorial waters. All published MAIB investigation reports to date are available here on the GOV.UK web site. These include the 2001 report on the Marchioness-Bowbelle collision of August 1989. The MAIB was formed in 1989 following the formal investigation into the accident in March 1987 involving the passenger ferry Herald of Free Enterprise. The Herald of Free Enterprise report is also available here.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), an executive agency of the UK Department for Transport, is responsible for implementing British and international maritime safety policy and preventing coastal pollution. This section of the GOV.UK web site has information on the MCA’s role and responsibilities, announcements, consultations, codes, guidance and other publications. Wreck and salvage law are amongst topics covered.
This is the site of the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. The full text of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is included, together with background information and details of current status.
The Port of London Authority (PLA) manages a range of responsibilities along the Tidal Thames. Legal content on its web site includes the Port of London Act 1968 (as amended); byelaws, rules and regulations governing navigation; codes of practice; and guidance documents.
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