Lloyd's Maritime Law Newsletter

Charterparty – Speed and consumption warranty – Good weather periods – Whether 24 consecutive hours running from noon to noon – Whether charterers had proved breach of performance warranty

Admiralty jurisdiction – Whether person liable on claim in personam was demise charterer of arrested vessel at time of issue of writs in rem – Whether demise charter validly terminated prior to issue of writs – Whether redelivery of vessel necessary to terminate demise charter – Whether writs in rem should be set aside

Admiralty practice - Collision action - Defendants offering to settle on basis of 50-50 liability and imposing deadline for issue and service of proceedings - Claimants issuing but not serving proceedings within deadline - Claimants accepting defendants' offer to settle - Whether compromise agreement concluded - Whether claimants entitled to extension of time for service of proceedings - Whether claimants entitled to relief under CPR 3.10

Practice – Anti-suit injunction – Shipbuilding contract – Buyer bringing London arbitration against Chinese bank to enforce refund guarantees – Arbitrators finding in favour of buyer – Chinese bank bringing proceedings against buyer and others in China – Whether buyer entitled to anti-suit injunction

Charterparty – Vessel under construction let out on long-term time charter – Charter providing for laycan to be “back-to-back” with shipbuilding contract – Charterers purporting to cancel charter prior to delivery – Whether cancellation lawful

Admiralty jurisdiction – Bunker supplier arresting vessel claiming unpaid bunkers – Bunker supplier asserting that party ordering bunkers was acting as agent for shipowner – Shipowner denying agency – Whether action in rem should be set aside Admiralty practice – Whether shipowner entitled to damages for wrongful arrest of vessel by supplier of bunkers