Merchant Shipping (Oil Pollution) Act 1971

1 Liability for oil pollution.

(1) Where, as a result of any occurrence taking place Liability for while a ship is carrying a cargo of persistent oil in bulk, any oil pollution. persistent oil carried by the ship (whether as part of the cargo or otherwise) is discharged or escapes from the ship, the owner of the ship shall be liable, except as otherwise provided by this Act,—

(a) for any damage caused in the area of the United Kingdom by contamination resulting from the discharge or escape ; and

(b) for the cost of any measures reasonably taken after the discharge or escape for the purpose of preventing or reducing any such damage in the area of the United Kingdom ; and

(c) for any damage caused in the area of the United Kingdom by any measures so taken.

(2) Where a person incurs a liability under subsection (1) of this section he shall also be liable for any damage or cost for which he would be liable under that subsection if the references therein to the area of the United Kingdom included the area of any other Convention country.

(3) Where persistent oil is discharged or escapes from two or more ships and—

(a) a liability is incurred under this section by the owner of each of them ; but

(b) the damage or cost for which each of the owners would be liable cannot reasonably be separated from that for which the other or others would be liable ;

each of the owners shall be liable, jointly with the other or others, for the whole of the damage or cost for which the owners together would be liable under this section.

(4) For the purposes of this Act, where more than one discharge or escape results from the same occurrence or from a series of occurrences having the same origin, they shall be treated as one ; but any measures taken after the first of them shall be deemed to have been taken after the discharge or escape.

(5) The [1945 c. 28.] Law Reform (Contributory Negligence) Act 1945 and, in Northern Ireland, the [1948 c. 23 (N.I.).] Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 1948 shall apply in relation to any damage or cost for which a person is liable under this section, but which is not due to his fault, as if it were due to his fault.