This Act may be cited as the Merchant Shipping Act 1981.

This Act, except so far as it relates to the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971, shall be construed as one with the Merchant Shipping Acts 1894 to 1979 and may be cited with those Acts as the Merchant Shipping Acts 1894 to 1981.

The enactments mentioned in the Schedule to this Act are hereby repealed to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule .

This Act shall come into force on such day as Her Majesty may by Order in Council appoint and different days may be appointed for different provisions or different purposes of the same provision.

An Order under subsection (4) above may contain transitional provisions.

Any judgment in respect of a liability limited by a provision amended by this Act shall, if given after the coming into force of the amendment, be given in accordance with the amended provision irrespective of when the liability arose.