Admiralty and Maritime Law, International

This site is about maritime law, admiralty law, shipping law, marine law, the law of marine insurance and the law of the sea, ships, shipping, fisheries and offshore oil and gas. Our primary focus is presently Canadian maritime law and Canadian admiralty law.

The objectives of the European Institute of Maritime and Transport Law which brings together the maritime and transport law know-how is to promote and conduct research into maritime law, maritime insurance law and transport law.

In 1974, the European Commission set up a Port Working Group, consisting of port authority representatives from Europe’s major ports. ESPO's mission is to influence public policy in the EU in order to achieve a safe, efficient and environmentally sustainable European port sector, operating as a key element of a transport industry where free and undistorted market conditions prevail, as far as practicable.

Ordinances are statutes enacted by Hong Kong's legislature. The Hong Kong Maritime Law Association was established in 1978. Its membership includes maritime lawyers, ship owners, P&I clubs and other persons and organizations who have an interest in maritime law.

The SOLAS Convention in its successive forms is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships. The main objective of the SOLAS Convention is to specify minimum standards for the construction, equipment and operation of ships, compatible with their safety.

The Convention establishing the International Maritime Organization (IMO) was adopted in Geneva in 1948 and IMO first met in 1959. IMO's main task has been to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping and its remit today includes safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical co-operation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping.

These Rules shall apply to all vessels upon the high seas and in all waters connected therewith navigable by seagoing vessels. Nothing in these Rules shall interfere with the operation of special rules made by an appropriate authority for roadsteads, harbors, rivers, lakes or inland waterways connected with the high seas and navigable by seagoing vessels. Such special rules shall conform as closely as possible to these Rules.

The Law of the Sea Convention in general refers both to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 1994 Agreement on Implementation that instituted changes in the operation of the provisions of the Convention dealing with the mineral resources of the deep seabed and their exploitation.

Often referred to as “the constitution of the oceans”, the Convention was adopted on 10 December 1982 and entered into force 12 years later, in November 1994. Based on the understanding that “the problems of ocean space are interrelated and need to be considered as a whole”, the instrument comprises 320 articles and nine annexes, governing all aspects of ocean space and maritime issues, ranging from navigational rights, maritime limits and marine scientific research to management of resources, protection of the marine environment and settlement of disputes.

United Nations Law of the sea, ,UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, fisheries, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, International Seabed Authority, ITLOS, UNICPOLOS, ISA, ISBA, marine environment, legal instruments, pollution, fish, environment, ocean policy, International Sea-bed Authority,

The Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (Water Convention) is intended to strengthen national measures for the protection and ecologically sound management of transboundary surface waters and groundwaters. The Convention obliges Parties to prevent, control and reduce water pollution from point and non-point sources.

Throughout the years, beginning with the work of the Seabed Committee in 1968 and later during the nine-year duration of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, the United Nations has been actively engaged in encouraging and guiding the development and eventual adoption of the Law of the Sea Convention. Today, it continues to be engaged in this process, by monitoring developments as they relate to the Convention and providing assistance to States, when called for, in either the ratification or the implementation process.

The CMLA is Canada's representative to the Comité Maritime International. The mandate of the CMLA is to advance the development of effective, modern commercial maritime law within Canada and the international shipping community. Members of the CMLA include practicing maritime lawyers and other persons, companies and groups interested in the shipping and maritime industry

The CMI, which was formally established in 1897, is the oldest international organization in the maritime field. Although its foundation followed that of the International Law Association (ILA) by several years, and the CMI was perhaps in one sense a descendant of the ILA, the Comité was the first international organization concerned exclusively with maritime law and related commercial practices.

The European Maritime Law Organization (EMLO) was established to provide a neutral forum for debate and research on issues of interest to those concerned with EC maritime affairs. The Organization is an independent body which holds conferences and seminars on all aspects of EC maritime Law.

The Institute of Maritime Law is the leading UK centre for teaching, research and consultancy in maritime law disciplines. The Institute consists, besides academic members, of one Senior Research Fellow, one Visiting Research Fellow, two Research Assistants and three support staff.

Dedicated to safe ships and clean seas, IACS makes a unique contribution to maritime safety and regulation through technical support, compliance verification and research and development.

The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) is a specialised division of the International Chamber Of Commerce (ICC). The IMB is a non-profit making organisation, established in 1981 to act as a focal point in the fight against all types of maritime crime and malpractice.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an independent judicial body established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the Convention. The Tribunal is composed of 21 independent members, elected from among persons enjoying the highest reputation for fairness and integrity and of recognized competence in the field of the law of the sea.

The Nautical Institute is the international professional body for qualified seafarers and others with an interest in nautical matters. We provide a wide range of services to enhance the professional standing and knowledge of members who are drawn from all sectors of the maritime world.