IISTL Continues Serving the Maritime Community by Staging an impressive event

The Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law hosted its fourth International Colloquium in Swansea (11-12 September 2008) and, like its predecessors, the Colloquium proved to be a great success. This year’s colloquium focused upon voyage charterparty contracts and addressed complex legal and practical issues arising out of the relationship between voyage charterparty contracts, bills of lading and international sale contracts. There was also discussion on other distinctive features of voyage charterparty contracts, such as deviation, laytime and demurrage, seaworthiness and cancellation clauses, and on the recent case law developments in jurisdiction and arbitration clauses in voyage charterparty contracts.

From Left to Right: Charles Baker (North of England, P & I Club), Sir Anthony Evans (Essex Court, arbitrator and retired judge of the Court of Appeal), Steven Gee Q.C.(Stone Chambers)

The following experts in the field from the UK and abroad presented papers at the Colloquium:

Charles Baker (North of England, P & I Club)

Simon Baughen (Bristol University)

Professor Jason Chuah (Westminster University)

Sir Anthony Evans (Essex Court, arbitrator and retired judge of the Court of Appeal)

Emeritus Professor Michael Furmston (Bristol University)

Steven Gee Q.C.(Stone Chambers)

Robert Gay (Hill Dickinson, London)

Mark Hampsher (Maritime Arbitrator)

Le Roy Lambert (Blank Rome LLP, New York)

Dr Theodora Nikaki (ISTL, Swansea University)

Emeritus Professor Francis Reynolds Q.C.(Oxford University)

Professor Frank Smeele (Erasmus University, Rotterdam )

Professor Andrew Tettenborn (Exeter University)

Professor D Rhidian Thomas (Director of the ISTL, Swansea University)

Professor Richard Williams (ISTL, Swansea University)

Professor D Rhidian Thomas (Director of the ISTL, Swansea University) addressing the delegates

The event was fully embraced by the international maritime community attracting 64 delegates from 12 different jurisdictions. In addition to academics, legal practitioners, arbitrators and representatives from P & I clubs were amongst the delegates.

The two-day event generated lively debates on the contents of the papers presented. Informa Publishing published the papers presented at the Colloquium in book format in 2009 (The Evolving Law and Practice of Voyage Charterparties). Professor DR Thomas, commenting after the event, stressed the importance of briding the gap between academia and practice which the annual colloquia intend to achieve. The Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law is organising another international colloquium next September.