Twenty nine delegates from across the membership of UK P&I Club, UK Defence, ITIC, TT, and UK and Hellenic War Risk Clubs participated in the 15th Annual Thomas Miller Insight into Transport Law and Insurance course last week.

It was a busy week for all the delegates as they combined an intensive course programme each day with social events in the evening.

Located in London, this combined working and social programme provided useful networking opportunities as well as time for Members to meet respective contacts at the Clubs.

The P&I members attending spent their first day reviewing P&I and freight, demurrage & defence cover in detail followed by a case study based on a fictional casualty which identified how the insurance responds as well as the variety of losses and liabilities involved. A guest speaker from a major international survey firm concluded their day of study with a look at the role of surveyors investigating casualties and incidents in conjunction with the clubs and lawyers to resolve claims.

Key aspects of risk & legal liability

Breadth of coverage is one of the advantages of this course and the second day looked at related insurance and liability issues of key areas of maritime risk. War, hull & machinery were covered with both lectures and case studies. A cargo claims workshop reviewed the parties, the insurers, the legal framework, the carrier's obligations and defences, and how such claims are resolved. A people claims workshop similarly considered the claims that are made in respect of people in marine insurance - injuries to crew, stevedores and passengers, illness claims, stowaway problems. The implications of recent cruise ship incidents were a particularly topical part of the day.

The admiralty, collisions and pollution workshop gave detailed insights into the legal consequences of major incidents, covering the consequences of collisions, pollution liabilities worldwide, salvage obligations as well as practical aspects of dealing with major casualties. The charterparty workshop session completed the day concentrating on the contractual framework of ship chartering, touching on payment of hire, loading and discharging responsibilities, and the commercial disputes which can arise in ship operation.

Practical and current issues

Risk assessment and loss prevention opened the final day including ship inspection programmes, large loss analysis and enhancing industry awareness of risk. Topical issues in the maritime industry discussed in the following session included the economic outlook, shipping markets, piracy and sanctions.

The course concluded with an overview of dispute resolution procedures in the maritime industry, including court and arbitration procedures, ship arrest and alternative dispute resolution followed by a mediation case study.

Networking

Social events for relaxation and networking ranged from a tour of London on a vintage Routemaster, a visit to the Shakespearean Globe Theatre and dinner at the neighbouring Swan restaurant through to a lunch cruise on the River Thames and a visit to the historic clipper ship Cutty Sark.