Description

Autonomous and unmanned ships have generated much interest and discussion over the last few years. As autonomous vessels move from concept to reality, regulatory and insurance issues are critically important. At a supranational level, the International Maritime Organisation is examining how or if the existing international Conventions can apply. As a result, it will be a number of years before autonomous ships will be sailing internationally. Nevertheless, the technology continues to steam ahead, and autonomous vessels are expected to operate in domestic waters in the near future. Regulators and insurers need to be prepared.

The principles that govern the law of marine insurance and the liability of the shipowner stem from a time when a ship was an isolated vessel with no means of communication to shore. Yet, these historical principles remain relatively unchanged in an era where communication is almost instantaneous, and technology can now perform almost every aspect of the ship’s operation. This technological revolution raises the fundamental question whether the existing legal framework can be adapted to autonomous and unmanned ships, or whether a complete break with the past will be required.

The seminar will discuss how autonomous and unmanned ships will slot into the existing legal framework for marine insurance and shipowners’ liability. It will examine the specific issues that ship owners will face in order to comply with their legal requirements under the most commonly used Hull and Machinery policies. The seminar will examine the risk of a shift from a fault‐based to a strict liability regime for shipowners, and what (if any) new standards will be required of shipowners to ensure their due diligence compliance.

About The Speaker

Luci Carey obtained her LLB (Hons) (First Class) degree in 2015 from Murdoch University in Western Australia. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (with Merit) from the Australian National University and is an admitted lawyer in the State of Western Australia. Luci also holds an MA (Hons) degree in Politics from Edinburgh University. Prior to joining the Centre for Maritime Law in 2016, Luci was Research Associate to the Honourable Justice Carmel McLure AC, President of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Western Australia. In her role as Research Associate in the Centre for Maritime Law, Luci has been undertaking research into the legal implications of the introduction of autonomous ships. Her article ‘All Hands off Deck? The Legal Barriers to Autonomous Ships’, was published by the Journal of International Maritime Law in 2017. Having established where legal barriersto autonomous shipping arise, Luci is now researching how these barriers can be overcome and how autonomous ships can be accommodated into the existing legal regimes.

Who Should Attend

Lawyers, in‐house counsel, and legal officers and claims handlers working in the maritime, insurance and reinsurance industry, and P & I Clubs.