Lloyd's Maritime Law Newsletter

Admiralty practice – Mandatory injunction granted by court requiring voyage charterers to provide security to release vessel from arrest by bank – Failure to reach agreement with bank on terms of guarantee – Time charterers seeking variation of injunction orders – Whether orders should be varied – Whether payment into court should be ordered

Contract – Lien – Storage company exercising contractual lien over stored cargo in respect of sums outstanding from customer – Storage company disposing of liened cargo – Plaintiff claiming title to cargo – Whether plaintiff had title to cargo – Whether disposal of cargo by storage company constituted conversion as against plaintiff

Carriage of goods by sea – Disponent owner taking assignment of vessel owner’s rights under bills of lading – Voyage charterer failing to pay freight and other costs – Disponent owner relying on assignment to claim sums due from shipper under bills of lading – Whether assignee entitled to recover sums from shipper

Demurrage – Time bar – Claim to be presented with all supporting documents within 90 days of discharge – Bills of lading not included with demurrage claim – Whether demurrage claim time-barred

Practice – Anti-suit injunction – Bill of lading holders bringing in rem proceedings in Singapore for misdelivery of cargo – Issue as to identity of carrier – Claimant seeking anti-suit injunction on basis that bills of lading contained London arbitration clause – Bill of lading holders denying that injunction claimant was carrier – Relevant principles – Whether bill of lading holders showed strong reasons to refuse relief – Whether anti-suit injunction should be granted

Arbitration – Jurisdiction – Carrier bringing arbitration proceedings against respondent on basis of arbitration clause in bill of lading – Respondent named as shipper in bill of lading – Whether respondent was party to contract of carriage – Whether arbitration tribunal had jurisdiction