ICMA XV

ONE of the most unusual and, by common consent amongst participants, enjoyable and useful conferences in the field of shipping law is the International Congress of Maritime Arbitrators (ICMA). This year the conference is to be held in London on 26-30 April, organised and hosted by the London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA). ICMA takes place roughly every two years somewhere in the world, the last (fourteenth) being held in New York in October 2001.

Despite the name, the congress is far from being only for arbitrators. Anyone with an interest in any aspect of shipping law and the resolution of disputes, whether by arbitration, litigation or otherwise, finds the congress invaluable. One of the unique aspects of ICMA is that the delegates themselves determine the programme by submitting papers on topics that interest them at the particular time. This makes for lively discussion on matters of both current and general interest.

There is only one formal presentation, the Cedric Barclay Memorial Lecture, which, this year, will be given by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Robert Finch. It was the late Cedric Barclay who, with a small group of others in the 1960s, established ICMA. Since that time it has been held in places as diverse as Athens, Santa Margarita, New York (twice), London, Monte Carlo, Casablanca, Madrid, Hamburg, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Paris and Auckland.

Although this year’s programme is still being prepared on the basis of outline papers currently being submitted, it promises to include discussions on topics such as the delivery of cargo without bills of lading, the publication of arbitration awards, negotiating contracts and the question of whether there is any duty to bargain fairly, the enforcement of awards in different jurisdictions, and the conduct of maritime arbitrations around the world, including questions as to consolidation of arbitrations, multi-dispute cases, disclosure and the costs consequences of interim awards.

Also on the agenda will be the awarding of costs, court intervention in support of arbitration, developments in various jurisdictions including recent awards and legal decisions, vessel and port security, war risks and terrorism, the duration of and withdrawal from time charters, laytime and demurrage issues, bunker quality, and the recovery of brokerage and commission, amongst many others. There will also be a session on alternative dispute resolution as well as a mock mediation.

The delegates are also as diverse and interesting as the subjects they discuss, coming, as they do, from all over the world and from many different disciplines including shipowners, charterers, brokers, lawyers, arbitrators and others.

In addition to the work programme there are a number of social arrangements for both delegates and their accompanying persons, including a river trip to Greenwich, a gala dinner at the Guildhall and a reception generously hosted by the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House. The Senior Law Lord, Lord Bingham of Cornhill, will open the congress, and Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, Master of the Rolls, will be the principal speaker at the gala dinner.

Registration fees are £895 plus VAT for the congress. For the first time a special effort to involve younger people is being made by offering a limited number of scholarship fees (£450 plus VAT) to students, and discounted fees (£695 plus VAT) to newly qualified lawyers. Full details, including registration facilities and sponsorship opportunities are on the ICMA website www.icmaxv.org