Abstract:
Recent amendments to the Merchant Shipping Act (Cap 179, 1996 Rev Ed) implement the Protocol of 1996 to amend the Convention on the Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, 1976 (“1996 Protocol”). This article examines the impact of the new legislation. Its implementation brings Singapore on par with other maritime jurisdictions and provides legal certainty that the higher limits under the 1996 Protocol apply domestically. Unless the 1996 Protocol is universally accepted, it bears mentioning that incidents of forum shopping will still be expected, given the new gap between Singapore and the other countries that have not acceded to the 1996 Protocol.