Merchant Shipping Act 1995

185 Limitation of liability for maritime claims. U.K.

(1) The provisions of the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims 1976 as set out in Part I of Schedule 7 (in this section and Part II of that Schedule referred to as “the Convention”) shall have the force of law in the United Kingdom.

(2) The provisions of Part II of that Schedule shall have effect in connection with the Convention, and subsection (1) above shall have effect subject to the provisions of that Part.

F1 [F1 (2A) Her Majesty may by Order in Council make such modifications of Parts I and II of Schedule 7 as She considers appropriate in consequence of the revision of the Convention by the Protocol of 1996 amending the Convention (in this section referred to as “the 1996 Protocol”).

F1 (2B) If it appears to Her Majesty in Council that the Government of the United Kingdom has agreed to any further revision of the Convention or to any revision of article 8 of the 1996 Protocol, She may by Order in Council make such modifications of Parts I and II of Schedule 7 and subsections (2C) and (2D) below as She considers appropriate in consequence of the revision.

F1 (2C) The Secretary of State may by order make such amendments of Parts I and II of Schedule 7 as appear to him to be appropriate for the purpose of giving effect to any amendment of a relevant limit which is adopted in accordance with article 8 of the 1996 Protocol.

F1 (2D) In subsection (2C) above “a relevant limit” means any of the limits for the time being specified in either of the following provisions of the Convention—

(a) article 6, paragraph 1, and

(b) article 7, paragraph 1.

F1 (2E) No modification made by virtue of subsection (2A), (2B) or (2C) above shall affect any rights or liabilities arising out of an occurrence which took place before the day on which the modification comes into force.]

(3) The provisions having the force of law under this section shall apply in relation to Her Majesty’s ships as they apply in relation to other ships.

(4) The provisions having the force of law under this section shall not apply to any liability in respect of loss of life or personal injury caused to, or loss of or damage to any property of, a person who is on board the ship in question or employed in connection with that ship or with the salvage operations in question if—

(a) he is so on board or employed under a contract of service governed by the law of any part of the United Kingdom; and

(b) the liability arises from an occurrence which took place after the commencement of this Act.

In this subsection,

“ship” and “salvage operations” have the same meaning as in the Convention.

F2 [(5) A draft of an Order in Council proposed to be made by virtue of subsection (2A) or (2B) above shall not be submitted to Her Majesty in Council unless it has been approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 185(2A)-(2E) inserted (17.7.1997) by 1997 c. 28, s. 15(1); S.I. 1997/1539, art. 2, Sch.

F2 S. 185(5) inserted (17.7.1997) by 1997 c. 28, s. 15(2); S.I. 1997/1539, art. 2, Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 185 extended (with modifications) to specified colonies (30.11.1997) by S.I. 1997/2579, art. 2, Schs. 1, 2