Maritime Law

Issue 12 2023

Ensuring the Quality of ISM Audits – The Role and Adequacy of the Legal Framework of Auditing

by Deepak Raj SHARMA Sigmund SIMONSEN 25 October 2023

Maritime safety and thus ISM (International Safety Management Code) audits are directly or indirectly regulated by a host of regulatory instruments. These regulations set the standards for verification, certification, and auditing mechanisms. Intrinsically, these legal regulations influence, or at least should influence, the quality and effectiveness of this auditing mechanism. The legal regulatory framework of …More

Issue 07 2019-2020

Why Evolving European SAR Policies Threaten Merchant Shipping

by Richard KILPATRICK 20 March 2020

Operators of commercial vessels have rescued tens of thousands of migrant seafarers in the Mediter- ranean Sea since 2014. For commercial actors, swift disembarkation of survivors is critical to ensure safety and prevent further disruption to the rescuing vessel’s primary voyage. From 2014 through 2017, European coastal states such as Italy, Malta, and Greece permitted …More