Singapore: Implementation of 1996 Protocol to LLMC 1976
On 29 December 2019, Singapore implemented the Protocol of 1996 to Amend the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (the “1996 Protocol”).
For (i) a brief background on the 1996 Protocol and (ii) a comparison of the limits under the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, 1976 and the limits under the 1996 Protocol (as amended in 2012), please refer to the UK P&I Club’s legal update dated 31 January 2019.
Singapore’s limits of liability for maritime claims are now as follows:
Tonnage (GT)
Claims for loss of life or personal injury (SDR)
Other claims (SDR)
<2,000
3,020,000
1,510,000
2,001-30,000
3,020,000 + 1,208/ton over 2,000 tons
1,510,000 + 604/ton over 2,000 tons
30,001–70,000
36,844,000 + 906/ton over 30,000 tons
18,422,000 + 453/ton over 30,000 tons
>70,000
73,084,000 + 604/ton over 70,000 tons
36,542,000 + 302/ton over 70,000 tons
The implementation of the 1996 Protocol does not apply in relation to any liability arising out of an occurrence which took place before 29 December 2019.
In this, the third and final episode addressing BWM, the topic of Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement of the Ballast Water Management Convention is examined with Dr Guillaume Drillet from SGS.
In 2005, Hong Kong finally adopted the 1996 Protocol’s limitation levels, which came into play locally on 3 May 2015. Since then, the negotiations have continued between participating member states on amendments to the limitation levels.
The Club would like to draw Members’ attention to an article by Haitong & Partners law firm dated 27.01.2022 in which Haitong provides their comments on the maritime section of the Supreme Court’s Memorandum of National Courts’ Symposium on Commercial and Maritime Cases.
