The Legal Committee met virtually for its 107th session from 27 and 30 November and 1 December 2020. Volker Schofisch from Germany chaired the meeting assisted by his Vice-Chair, Gillian Grant from Canada. Both were re-elected for 2021. IUMI was in attendance with Lars Lange and Hendrike Kühl. Key issues of interest included:
Seafarer matters during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Legal Committee discussed the ongoing seafarer issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the urgent need for crew changes. The Committee was updated on efforts by the IMO Secretariat. The IMO’s Seafarer Crisis Action Team (SCAT) has been involved in approximately 300 cases and is dealing directly with several thousands of seafarers. Most cases concern individuals or small groups of three to 15 seafarers, while some cases involve cruise ships with 250 to 500 seafarers.
On 1 December, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on International cooperation to address challenges faced by seafarers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic to support global supply chains.
Unified Interpretation on the test for breaking the owner's right to limit liability under the IMO conventions
The Committee decided to establish a remote intersessional group to develop a Unified Interpretation on the test for breaking the owner's right to limit liability under IMO liability conventions, to reflect consistent themes and principles highlighting the virtually unbreakable nature of the test. The remote intersessional group will report its results to LEG 108. Charles Fernandez, Chairperson of IUMI’s Legal & Liability Committee, represents IUMI’s views on this issue in the intersessional group.
