Must “control” of a ship be more than “control”?l

The landmark ruling in Chimbusco Pan Nation Petro-Chemical Co Ltd v Owners and/or Demise Charterers of the Ship or Vessel The “Decurion” [2012] HKCFI 630 by the Court of First Instance of Hong Kong provided for the first time in a common law jurisdiction the meaning of “control” in the context of ship arrest. In this case, the Hong Kong Admiralty judge held it to be the person who is legally in control of a ship; for example, having entered into a time charter.

The conditions relating to in personam liability