Autonomous Shipping – Liability and Contractual Issues
A half-day conference organised by UCL Autonomous Shipping Project with The Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law Swansea
About the conference:
The autonomous shipping revolution is beginning. Although autonomous merchant vessels are currently experimental, it is likely that they will be entering commercial service in the near future. While many of the familiar rules of shipping law will carry across relatively seamlessly from vessels controlled by crew onboard to those controlled from onshore or even entirely autonomously, not all will. It is inevitable that tensions will arise.
A group of established scholars from world-leading University College London (UCL) and the internationally renowned Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (IISTL) at Swansea University are collaborating to hold a series of conferences to consider the legal changes which may be needed to accommodate the autonomous shipping revolution.
In the first of these conferences, which will take place on 27 October 2021, a distinguished group of scholars and practitioners will convene to discuss the complex private law liability and contractual issues associated with the use of autonomous ships in the context of the carriage of goods and marine insurance. A further conference will be held later this year to consider the regulatory and public law issues emerging from the same cause.
We will be limiting the numbers invited to each conference to 40 in order to comply with UCL’s COVID-19 restrictions and provide a safe environment for all.
Speakers and Chairpersons:
◊ Sir Richard Aikens, Brick Court Chambers
◊ Prof Simon Baughen, IISTL, Swansea University
◊ Julian Clark, Ince Law Firm
◊ Paul Dean, Partner and Global Head of Shipping, HFW
◊ Peter MacDonald Eggers QC, 7 King’s Bench Walk
◊ Dr Melis Özdel, UCL
◊ Prof Bariş Soyer, IISTL, Swansea University
◊ Professor Andrew Tettenborn, IISTL, Swansea University
◊ Tom Walters, Holman Fenwick Willan
The Programme:
14.00 Opening- Dr Melis Ozdel, UCL Centre for Commercial Law, UCL Laws
14.05 Session 1: Autonomous Shipping – Carriage of Goods by Sea
Chair: Tom Walters (HFW)
14:05 Autonomous Vessels and their Seaworthiness
Professor Simon Baughen, Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (IISTL), Swansea University
14:30 Redefining “Nautical Fault and “Unjustified Deviation” in the New Era of Shipping
Dr Melis Ozdel, UCL Centre for Commercial Law, UCL Laws
14.55 Carriage of Cargoes- Ports and Autonomy
Julian Clark, Global Senior Partner, Ince
15:20 Q & A
15:40 Break
16:00 Session 2: Autonomous Shipping – Liability and Insurance
Chair: Professor Simon Baughen, Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (IISTL), Swansea University
16:00 Liability of the Operator and Limitation of Liability
Professor Baris Soyer, Director of the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (IISTL), Swansea University
16:25 – 16:50 Product Liability
Professor Andrew Tettenborn, Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (IISTL), Swansea University
16:50 – 17:15 Autonomous Shipping and Marine Insurance
Peter McDonald Eggers QC (7 Kings Bench Walk)
17:15 Q &A
17:30 Keynote Speech by Sir Richard Aikens (Brick Court Chambers)
18.00- Closing remarks
Professor Baris Soyer, Director of the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law (IISTL), Swansea University
Archived | Posted on 27 October 2021