The implications of piracy on marine insurance: some considerations for the shipowner

A prominent feature of modern day piracy is the ransom that is demanded for the safe release of the ship, cargo and crew. The recent upsurge of this type of piracy, in areas of the world that are of strategic importance to the shipping industry, has created many challenges for shipowners, underwriters and the law relating to marine insurance. The aim of this paper is to examine how the marine insurance market is being affected by the threat of modern day piracy, and seeks to identify the options that are available for the recovery of a ransom payment by the shipowner. Moreover, this study aims to identify the legal issues that might prevent a shipowner from recovering a ransom payment under an insurance policy or from the other interests in a common adventure. The study establishes that a reasonably made ransom payment by the shipowner will amount to an extraordinary expense that is taken to minimise or avert a loss. Such an act can generally be recovered under the insurance policy as a sue and labour expense or from other interests in the common adventure as a general average expense. However, illegality, unseaworthiness and exemption clauses in a marine policy are identified as being legal issues that may prevent a shipowner from recovering the ransom payment. Some of these problems may be overcome if clauses are carefully drafted to specifically cater for modern day piracy in a marine insurance policy. Several inconsistencies may also be resolved by transferring the piracy peril to war risks cover. The shipowner’s duty is to respond to the changing circumstances, by ensuring that his vessel is sufficiently equipped and the crew is properly trained to resist a hijacking.     

索马里海盗及其相关保险问题

<正>现代海盗袭击事件的频发性及其不同于传统海盗的特点,引发了若干涉及海上保险及相关法律的新问题和分歧、争议,各保赔协会也不断接获船东会员就此的询问,为此,国际保赔协会集团经过研究、分析后,以该集团名     

保险界应对海盗风险新对策

2006年以来,世界范围的海盗事件逐年在增加且增加幅度大.海盗队伍逐年扩大,人质数量逐年增加,受劫船舶数量递增,赎金逐年高涨.有关数据表明,2007年以来索马里海盗活动频繁,导致全球海盗袋击活动再次活跃,2010年已达近十几年之最.海盗袭击每年给全球航运业造成70亿至120亿美元损失,其中包括赎金和安保费用等.     

Maritime commercial malpractices and piracy under international law

The term 'Piracy' tends to be used in a loose, popular sense to refer to various acts of violence or lawlessness at sea which are not, strictly speaking, acts of piracy in law. In this article, the author examines the concept of piracy under international law and related notions such as hijacking and mutiny. In this context, he shows that the 'malpractices' of robber bands in such places as the inshore waters of Nigeria and The Philippines are not acts of piracy jure gentium.     

Maritime commercial malpractices and piracy under international law

The term ‘Piracy’ tends to be used in a loose, popular sense to refer to various acts of violence or lawlessness at sea which are not, strictly speaking, acts of piracy in law. In this article, the author examines the concept of piracy under international law and related notions such as hijacking and mutiny. In this context, he shows that the ‘malpractices’ of robber bands in such places as the inshore waters of Nigeria and The Philippines are not acts of piracy jure gentium.     

Quantitative analysis of materiality in marine insurance

The ex post test of materiality is the traditional approach for a court to examine whether the non-disclosed information of the policyholder is material for a prudent underwriter. The approach of the ex post test has been questioned by the shipping industry, and amendments to the relevant clauses of the Marine Insurance Act 1906 are under discussion. In this research, the factors that significantly relate to marine incidents are determined based on the panel data through the step-wise random intercept model. The materiality of each factor can be reflected by constructing a factor-weighted risk indicator, which can be applied in the ex ante risk assessment of insured vessels. It endeavors to establish a risk index system for measuring the risk level of a ship, which can help both the underwriter and the policyholder in effective assessment of the materiality of information when they conclude the contract. A panel data of total loss incidents during the period 1999–2007 has been collected for verification of the methodology.     

论海上保险中的委付制度

委付制度是海上保险法中的一项重要制度。它存在于损失发生之后,与实际全损和推定全损都有密切的联系。对委付制度进行研究,深入分析委付制度与实际全损以及委付制度与推定全损的关系,结合英国1906年的《海上保险法》及我国《海商法》对这一制度的规定,可以看出我国海商法还存在一定的不足之处,需要进一步的修订。     

论海上保险合同中的告知义务

最大诚信原则是海上保险合同的一项基本原则,如实告知义务是其主要内容。如实告知义务中“重要情况”的界定实践中存在较大争议。本文结合英国法相关观点和判例对海上保险法中“重要情况”的界定进行了探讨和研究。     

国际航运中心与海上保险

<正>笔者没有弄清楚究竟从什么时候起,我国把"海上保险MaineInsurance",改称为了"航运保险Shipping Insurance"。"海上保险"是国际保险界几百年来的习惯称呼,在我国保险业准备走向世界,接轨国际保险业的时候,还是按国际习惯称之为"海上保险"为好。     

海难救助法律中的特别补偿制度

为寻求海难救助中救助人和被救助人利益关系的平衡，推动海上救助的顺利进行和健康发展，通过研究特别补偿制度以及船东互保协会特别补偿条款（SCOPIC）的产生背景和在实施中存在的问题，提出特别补偿制度在实践中存在很多现实问题，如明显倾向于保护救助人的利益以及“公平费率”问题、SCOPIC条款中救助人得到特别补偿的诉前担保十分困难，以及部分条款操作性不强等，认为海难救助法律中特别补偿制度需要进一步修改和完善。     

想象竞合和法条竞合情形下的海事执法实践

为提高海事行政执法效率,保证执法的公平和公正,结合案例对想象竞合和法条竞合情形下海事执法的异同展开分析,并提出对想象竞合行为和法条竞合行为的处断建议：对前者适用“从一重加重处罚”处断原则;对后者则应由法律规范之间的转致决定如何适用。     

海上保险合同告知义务的履行

根据我国《海商法》,在海上保险合同订立前,被保险人对保险人负有告知义务.结合我国有关案例和最高人民法院的意见对告知义务的履行加以简要分析,认为在被保险人履行告知义务时,保险人同样有了解并评估风险的义务,否则将可能丧失主张被保险人违反告知义务的权利.     

海盗袭击与海员——海运行业共同努力阻止海盗行为

10月21日,"海员发展与教育培训研讨会"在青岛召开。部海事局、中国海员建设工会、中国船东协会、亚洲船东论坛及其海员委员会、部分亚洲国家海员工会、知名航运企业及亚洲知名航海院校的领导、专家齐聚一堂,交流中国航海教育和海员培训成果,共同谋划未来海员发展和教育培训的对策和措施。针对目前海运界非常关心的海盗问题,亚洲船东论坛秘书长苑田勇一先生作了"海盗袭击与海员"的主题演讲,号召海运行业共同努力,阻止海盗行为。本刊特将演讲内容翻译整理,以飨读者。     

关于海洋货物运输保险责任起讫的相关探讨

文章就现行的海洋货物运输保险条款（人保1981年版）第三条中对海洋货物运输保险责任起讫的规定内容,着重论述海洋货物运输保险合同是法律上规定的＂附条件生效合同＂,保险人在保险合同成立时间、保险合同生效期间和保险责任期间等不同责任期间的赔偿责任。     

论《物权法》实施与海事管理

《物权法》的实施给海事部门的行政执法工作带来了一定的影响。从物权与行政管理的关系、《物权法》颁布对海事行政管理的影响以及如何在海事管理中贯彻《物权法》等方面进行论述,为海事行政执法适应物权保护原则、进一步规范依法行政行为提供参考。     

The effects of marine cargo delays in law and commerce

With the development of door-to-door intermodal services and the advent of just-in-time supply systems, punctual delivery of cargoes is more than ever a priority both for shippers and for shipowners. This paper is about the incidence of delay in transportation, particularly in the marine mode, and its legal and commercial consequences.

The fundamental legal obligations of marine carriers have always included delivery with dispatch. Thus the law would seem to support the commercial expectations of shippers for reliable performance. The authors discuss the nature of these obligations, investigate their adequacy under modern conditions of trade and report on a survey of Canadian shippers and consignees.

The authors conclude that there appears to be a divergence in the toleration of delay, but that few of the Canadian companies suffering unacceptable delays received, or even sought, financial compensation and none of them planned to do more. The authors speculate about their reasons for absorbing the losses incurred through unacceptable delays. The evidence from the survey is that shippers, in spite of their dissatisfaction with the resolution or outcome of incidents of unacceptable delay, are loath to seek compensation through legal means, but instead prefer to resort to a range of commercial actions.     

论海上保险委付行为的法律性质

依传统观点,海上保险委付行为被认为是民事法律行为,或单方民事法律行为,或双方民事法律行为。本文依据英美德法日及我国法律的规定和民事法律行为的基本理论,论证了委付行为真实的法律性质,即委付行为是被保险人所实施的单方行为,该行为在德日法例中是被保险人实施的单方法律行为,在英美和我国法例中则认为是被保险人为订立委付合同所发出的要约。     

马六甲海峡生死抗海盗

2004年春夏之交,我与6名中国大陆水手乘飞机到达希腊首都雅典,经过一路的折腾,当天早晨迷迷糊糊地乘坐交通艇上了停泊在锚地的希腊籍"莫比尔大洋"号货轮上,我在这艘船上任报务员,是中国大陆船员中惟一的高级船     

论海上强制责任保险中直接请求权问题

通过对国际公约和我国法律中对海上强制责任保险制度的规定,总结出海上强制责任保险中直接请求权制度的一般内容,并探讨了其存在的意义,在海上强制责任保险重的地位以及其存在的基础。     

论海上保险被保险人告知义务中的重要情况及其判断标准

海上保险中的基本原则,也即被保险人的重要义务与之一便是履行其告知义务。在实践中,被保险人需要告知的情况及其判断标准有着比较大的争议。本文作者试图结合英美案例与国内的实践,从被保险人告知义务应告知事项范围的界定与重要情况及其判断标准方面入手,阐述这一问题。