The IISTL, which is a University-recognised research centre and leading international forum on shipping law, holds the annual colloquium to discuss shipping and trade law issues in the company of expert speakers and delegates drawn from around the world.

This year’s event examined legal issues relating to pollution at sea which is especially topical in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and the ongoing development of international rules on compensation and liability.

Speakers and delegates included leading figures from international regulators, legal practice, academia and the shipping and insurance industries who debated significant ongoing and emerging aspects of the subject.

Amongst the topics discussed were the regulation of hazardous and noxious substances; liability for ships’ bunkers, offshore installations and crafts; the development of EU law on pollution claims; environmental salvage; P & I cover for pollution; criminalization of seafarers; the regulatory impact of port state control; and the legal liability of a number of unexplored potential defendants.

Commenting on the colloquium, Professor Baris Soyer, Director of the IISTL, said “it is very pleasing to see that our annual colloquia have become firmly established as a key fixture in the international maritime law calendar, attracting not only academic lawyers but also leading legal practitioners and industry experts. One of the primary objectives of the IISTL is to bridge the gap between academia and practice and this event goes a long way in achieving that goal. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the speakers, delegates and particularly the members of the IISTL for their support in making this another highly successful event.”

Mr Simon Rainey QC delivering his paper on the ‘Use of Public Nuisance in Pollution Cases’  

For further item was posted on behalf of the School of Law by Delyth Purchase, Swansea University Public Relations Office, Tel: 01792 295050, or email: d.purchase@swansea.ac.uk