282Bonds for release of vessels
(1)Where a vessel is being detained under section 279, the relevant authority may enter into an agreement with the owner or charterer, or any of the owners or charterers, of the vessel for security for the vessel to be given to the relevant authority by way of bond in return for the withdrawal of the notice of detention.
(2)Any bond given under this section is to be—
(a)for such amount as may be agreed, or
(b)in the event of a failure to agree an amount, for such amount as may be determined by the court.
“The court” means a magistrates’ court in England and Wales.
(3)A person who gives a bond under this section must comply with such conditions as to the giving of the bond as the relevant authority may determine.
(4)If any of the grounds for release mentioned in subsection (5) applies, then any bond given under this section must be returned as soon as possible.
(5)The grounds for release referred to in subsection (4) are—
(a)that the relevant authority has decided not to take proceedings against the master, owner or charterer of the vessel;
(b)that there are no grounds for believing that any person referred to in paragraph (a) against whom proceedings have been, or may be, taken will fail to attend court;
(c)that there are no grounds for believing that the court referred to in section 279(1)(b)(ii) would, in the absence of the bond, have ordered the vessel to be detained;
(d)that any proceedings taken against the master, owner or charterer of the vessel have concluded without any fine having been imposed.
(6)Where a court imposes a fine on the master, owner or charterer of the vessel, the court may order any sum of money given as a bond under this section to be used towards the payment of the fine.
If the fine is less than the amount of the bond, any sum not required to be used in payment of the fine must be returned to the person who gave the bond as soon as possible.
(7)In this section “notice of detention” means a notice served under section 279(4).