The Equality Bill received Royal Assent on 8 April 2010 and became the Equality Act 2010. Under the Social Security (Medical Evidence) Regulations 2010, with effect from 6 April 2010, the traditional sick note will be replaced with a ‘fit note'.

At the time of writing the shipping and marine insurance industries are still trying to digest and understand the full ramifications of the US Presidential Order signed on April 13th 2010.

This case involved an appeal to the High Court from an arbitration award and related to the appropriate measure of damages recoverable by the owners as a result of the wrongful termination of a charterparty.

It is common for shipbuilding contracts to provide for a builder to be paid in installments at key points during the construction.

This decision of the Court of Appeal highlights the elements of a claim that charterers need to prove in order to succeed in an action against owners for breach of express warranty by the owners.

This recent decision of Mr Justice Hamblen in the Commercial Court provides further useful guidance on the measure of recoverable damages in breach of charterparty cases.

The Federal Supreme Court of the UAE has ruled in a recent case that the Ministry of Justice has the power to overturn any Court ruling which it deems to be “improper”.

The author looks at the key themes from 2009 and considers the development of the piracy phenomenon, the global response and the successes the industry has achieved in responding to acts of piracy and hijackings.

On 17 December 2009, the Rome I Regulation (EU Regulation 593/2008) on the law applicable to contractual obligations comes into force and will be directly applicable in all EU Member States with the exception of Denmark. It will apply to all contracts concluded as from 17 December 2009.

Humanitarian concerns aside,the economic need for a response is indisputable: 22,000 ships transit through the Gulf of Aden each year. Keeping that waterway free of obstructions is vital.

Unlike some other vacation schemes, the Ince & Co scheme offers potential trainees the opportunity to spend two weeks at Ince & Co doing real work. Successful candidates will be sitting with a Partner and will have a trainee to support them while they’re here. They’ll get the opportunity to work on real cases which could mean attending court and hearings, meeting clients, drafting correspondence and undertaking legal research.

Last night two members of our editorial & news team were delighted to attend a series of short presentations focusing on three different, but vitally important aspects of the superyacht industry, namely broking, crewing and registering with flag states at Ince & Co's 'Turning the dream into reality II' event in London.