17 Law of Marine Collisions and other Casualties to Hull and Machinery

Subject(s):

Seafarers — Nationality of ships — Straits — UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea)

This chapter outlines the development of international law regulating marine collisions and other casualties to hull and machinery of the ship. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 (UNCLOS), flag State administrations are obliged to conduct investigations to determine the cause of collisions, with the objective of reporting causes and seeking changes in international and national regulations that will aid in preventing such collisions in the future. Since collisions are more likely to happen in their national jurisdiction, coastal State authorities also have sovereign jurisdiction to conduct similar investigations into collisions. The chapter also looks into the types of non-collision casualties. It elaborates on the requirements needed to consider a casualty non-collision as stated in Lloyd’s Casualty Return Classifications, the leading source for shipping and vessel casualty alerts, analysis, and information.