1. Surveying paying off SURVEYORS can save you money. In the latest edition of its ‘Signals’ newsletter, the North of England P&I Club quotes two recent cases where it appointed judicial surveyors in connection with grain shipments involving North African countries. The club says the appointment of the surveyors, at an average cost of about …Read the full article

1. New Venezuelan maritime courts WE are indebted to John Richard Prados for news that the Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) has finally reached a decision to set up the Venezuelan First Maritime High Court, as well as the First Maritime Court, both based in Caracas and both having lawful nation-wide jurisdiction. The Venezuelan …Read the full article

1. Who can conduct a case? DESPITE mutterings from your editor and others about the lack of published awards, London is still one of the world’s leading arbitration centres. One of the attractions of English arbitration law is that foreign lawyers are entitled to conduct arbitrations taking place in England, and to instruct English barristers …Read the full article

1. OCIMF launches barge inspection programme 2. Recording angel 3. Gold standard 4. Flipped 1. OCIMF launches barge inspection programme THE Oil Companies International Maritime Forum has announced that its ship inspection and reporting programme (SIRE) is to be extended to cover barge inspections from October this year. The new system will cover all vessels …Read the full article

1. Conference precedent A RECENT ruling from the Court of Appeal in England has confirmed that liner conferences are not necessarily responsible for the unwise decisions of competitors. The judgement sets a significant precedent for future competition cases, say Davies Arnold Davies, which successfully defended Borchard Lines and other members of a liner conference against …Read the full article

1. Water for oil IT has been held on appeal by the courts in England that a judge at first instance erred when deciding demurrage liability in a dispute involving responsibility for substitution of water for oil during a ship-to-ship cargo transfer. The sale contract covering the oil cargo specified a water/sediment content of no …Read the full article

The Third Man Open conference, closed list “FANTASTIC, better than I could imagine.” “A positive, constructive and unanimous conference.” “A better text than the draft.” “The UK and the US very positive and hope to sign up soon.” What could all this refer to? Think of the least likely occasion for such comments. You’ve got …Read the full article