Sea Pollution (Hazardous Substances) (Compensation) Act 2005

Current text a fecha 2005-05-30

PART 1 Preliminary and General

1 Short title, collective citation, collective construction and commencement.

1.—(1) This Act may be cited as the Sea Pollution (Hazardous Substances) (Compensation) Act 2005.

(2) The Merchant Shipping Acts 1894 to 2000, and section 28 may be cited together as the Merchant Shipping Acts 1894 to 2005 and shall be construed together as one Act.

(3) The Oil Pollution of the Sea (Civil Liability and Compensation) Acts 1988 to 2003, and section 29 may be cited together as the Oil Pollution of the Sea (Civil Liability and Compensation) Acts 1988 to 2005.

(4) This Act shall come into operation on such day or days as the Minister may, by order or orders, appoint, either generally or with reference to any particular purpose or provision, and different days may be so appointed for different purposes or different provisions.

2 Interpretation.

2.—(1) In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires—

“the Central Bank” means the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland;

“the Convention” means the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 1996, done at London on the 3rd day of May, 1996;

“convention court” means, in relation to a State Party (other than the State)—

(a) any court or tribunal that under the law of that State Party has jurisdiction to determine liability in respect of damage incurred, and to award compensation therefor, or

(b) any court or tribunal that under the law of that State Party has jurisdiction to, adjudicate on any appeal from, or review, a judgment of a court or tribunal referred to in paragraph (a);

“Council Regulation” means Council Regulation (EC) No. 44/2001[^1] of 22 December 2000 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters;

“final judgment” shall be construed in accordance with section 17(3);

“functions” includes powers and duties, and references to the performance of functions include references to the exercise of powers and the carrying out of duties;

“harbour authority” means—

(a) in the case of a harbour to which the Harbours Act 1946 applies, a harbour authority within the meaning of that Act;

(b) in the case of a harbour under the control of a company established pursuant to section 7 of the Harbours Act 1996 the company concerned;

(d) in the case of a harbour under the control of a local authority, the local authority concerned;

(e) in the case of a harbour under the management of Iarnród Éireann — Irish Rail, Iarnród Éireann — Irish Rail;

“inspector” means—

(a) a person appointed to be an inspector under section 23,

(b) a person holding commissioned rank in the Permanent Defence Forces, while in uniform,

(d) as respects the harbour of which he or she is the harbour master, a person appointed to be a harbour master by a harbour authority;

“judgment” means a decision of a convention court made in accordance with the provisions of the Convention awarding compensation to a person in respect of damage incurred by him or her;

“judgment debtor” means the person against whom a convention court has given a final judgment;

“Member State” means a Member State of the European Community (other than the State and Denmark);

“Minister” means the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources;

“State Party” means a state that is declared by order under section 9 to be a State Party to the Convention.

(2) A reference in this Act to the State includes a reference to—

(a) the inland waters of the State,

(b) the territorial seas of the State, and the seabed and subsoil beneath those seas, and

(c) any area lying within a line, every point of which is 200 nautical miles from the baselines for the purposes of the Maritime Jurisdiction Acts 1959 to 1988 and the waters above it, provided that this paragraph shall not be construed as constituting a claim by the State to any area that—

(i) is under the jurisdiction of a state other than the State, and

(ii) the State recognises as being under such jurisdiction.

(3) A word or expression that is used in this Act and that is also used in the Convention has, in this Act, the meaning that it has in the Convention.

(4) In this Act—

(a) a reference to a section or Schedule is a reference to a section of, or a Schedule to, this Act, unless it is indicated that reference to some other enactment is intended,

(b) a reference to a subsection or paragraph is a reference to a subsection or paragraph of the provision in which the reference occurs, unless it is indicated that a reference to some other provision is intended, and

(c) a reference to any enactment is a reference to that enactment as amended, extended or adapted, whether before or after the commencement of this section, by or under any subsequent enactment.

3 Orders.

3.—(1) The Minister may by order amend or revoke an order made by him or her under this Act (other than an order under section 1(4) but including an order under this subsection).

(2) An order under subsection (1) shall be made in the like manner and its making shall be subject to the like (if any) consents and conditions as the order that it is amending or revoking.

4 Laying of orders and regulations before Houses of Oireachtas.

4.—Every order and regulation under this Act (other than an order under section 1(4)) shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling such order or regulation is passed by either such House within the next 21 days on which that House has sat after the order or regulation is laid before it, the order or regulation shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder.

5 Expenses.

5.—The expenses incurred by the Minister in the administration of this Act shall, to such extent as may be sanctioned by the Minister for Finance, be paid out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas.

6 Penalties and offences.

6.—(1) (a) A person guilty of an offence under section 15 shall be liable—

(i) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding €3,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to both, or

(ii) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €1,270,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or to both.

(b) A person guilty of an offence under this Act (other than section 15) shall be liable—

(i) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €3,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to both, or

(ii) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €13,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, or to both.

(2) Section 13 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1967 shall apply in relation to an offence under section 15 as if, in lieu of the penalties specified in subsection (3)(a) of that section, there were specified therein the penalties provided for in subsection (1)(a)(i), and the reference in subsection (2)(a) of the said section 13 to the penalties provided for by subsection (3) shall be construed and have effect accordingly.

(3) Section 13 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1967 shall apply in relation to an offence under this Act (other than section 15) as if, in lieu of the penalties specified in subsection (3)(a) of that section, there were specified therein the penalties provided for in subsection (1)(b)(i), and the reference in subsection (2)(a) of the said section 13 to the penalties provided for by subsection (3) shall be construed and have effect accordingly.

(4) Where an offence under this Act is committed by a body corporate and is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to, any neglect on the part of any director, manager, secretary or other officer of such body corporate or a person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, that officer or person shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished as if he or she were guilty of the first-mentioned offence.

7 Proceedings.

7.—(1) Summary proceedings for an offence under this Act may be brought and prosecuted by the Minister.

(2) Notwithstanding section 10(4) of the Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act 1851, summary proceedings for an offence under this Act may be instituted—

(a) within 2 years from the date on which the offence was committed, and

(b) if at the end of that period, the person to be charged is outside the State, within 2 months of the date on which he or she next enters the State.

(3) References in section 382 of the Companies Act 1963 to a company shall, for the purposes of this Act, be construed as including references to a body corporate (whether or not a company within the meaning of that section) charged on indictment with an offence under this Act.

PART 2 Convention of 1996

8 Convention to have force of law.

8.—(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Convention (other than Article 48 in so far as it relates to paragraph 1 of Article 9) shall have the force of law in the State and judicial notice shall be taken thereof.

(2) Where the Convention requires the State to impose a duty on any person the duty concerned shall, by virtue of subsection (1), be deemed to be so imposed.

(3) For convenience of reference, the text, in the English language, of the Convention is set out in Schedule 1.

9 Order declaring state (other than State) to be State Party.

9.—The Minister may by order declare that any state specified in the order is a State Party to the Convention and such an order shall be evidence that that state is a State Party to the Convention.

10 Hazardous and Noxious Substances Fund.

10.—(1) The Hazardous and Noxious Substances Fund (hereafter referred to in this Act as “the Fund”) is hereby recognised as, and as having all the attributes of, a body corporate, including perpetual succession, the power to acquire, hold and dispose of land or other property and the power to sue, and may be sued in its corporate name.

(2) The Director of the Fund is hereby recognised as being the legal representative of the Fund.

(3) The reference in paragraph 1 of Article 35 of the Convention to all State Parties shall be construed as a reference to the State.

11 Conversion of amounts in units of account into currency of State for purposes of Convention.

11.—(1) For the purpose of the limits of liability specified in Article 9 of the Convention, the value in the currency of the State of a unit of account shall be taken to be its value, ascertained in accordance with paragraph 9 of that Article, in that currency on the day specified in subparagraph (a) of the said paragraph 9 or, if its value on that day cannot be so ascertained, its value in that currency on the latest day, on which it can be so ascertained, before the first-mentioned day.

(2) For the purposes of Article 14 of the Convention, the value in the currency of the State of a unit of account shall be taken to be its value, ascertained in accordance with paragraph 5(d) of that Article, in that currency on the day specified in the said paragraph 5(d) or, if its value on that day cannot be so ascertained, its value on the latest day, on which it can be so ascertained, before the first-mentioned day.

(3) For the purposes of this section, a certificate purporting to be signed by an officer of the Central Bank and stating that—

(a) a specified amount in the currency of the State is the value of a unit of account on a specified day, or

(b) the value in the currency of the State of a unit of account on a specified day cannot be ascertained in accordance with the Convention and that a specified amount in the currency of the State is the value of a unit of account ascertained in accordance with that Convention on a specified day (being the latest day, on which such value can be so ascertained, before the first-mentioned specified day),

shall be admissible as evidence of the matters stated in the certificate.

12 Act not to apply to certain ships.

12.—The Minister may, by order declare that this Act shall not apply to ships in respect of which a declaration has been made under Article 5 of the Convention.

13 Construction of reference to competent public authority.

13.—The reference in paragraph 5(d) of Article 7 of the Convention to a competent public authority shall be construed as a reference to the Minister or a harbour authority.

14 Limitation of liability.

14.—(1) The owner of a ship who, or who it is alleged, has incurred a liability under Article 7 of the Convention may (whether proceedings for the recovery of compensation in respect of damage incurred resulting from a specific incident have been instituted against him or her, or not) apply to the High Court for an order limiting his or her liability in accordance with Article 9 of the Convention.

(2) Upon application being made under subsection (1) by the owner of the ship concerned (hereafter in this section referred to as “the applicant”), the High Court shall—

(a) if satisfied that were it to find that the applicant had incurred a liability under the said Article 7 he or she would be entitled to limit his or her liability in accordance with the said Article 9, and

(b) if the applicant pays into court, in accordance with paragraph 3 of that Article, such sum as, in the opinion of the court is equal to the maximum amount of compensation that the owner of the ship would, if he or she so limited his or her liability, be liable to pay in respect of damage caused as a result of the incident concerned,

make an order—

(i) declaring that where the applicant is so found to have incurred a liability under the said Article 7 the said applicant's liability in respect of damage resulting from the incident concerned shall be limited to the amount of the sum so paid into court, and

(ii) that such amounts as may be determined by that court be paid out of the said sum, in accordance with paragraph 4 of Article 9 of the Convention, to such persons (if any) as the court determines are entitled to receive compensation from the said applicant in respect of damage incurred resulting from the incident concerned.

15 Insurance of ships.

15.—(1) The owner of an Irish ship or a ship registered in a state, other than the State or another State Party, may apply to the Minister for a compulsory insurance certificate.

(2) The Minister shall, on being satisfied that there is in force, in respect of a ship to which an application under subsection (1) applies, a contract of insurance or other financial security that complies with Article 12 of the Convention, issue a compulsory insurance certificate to the owner thereof.

(3) The owner and master of an Irish ship that—

(a) is carrying hazardous and noxious substances, and

(b) does not have on board a compulsory insurance certificate issued by the Minister under subsection (1),

shall each be guilty of an offence.

(4) The owner and master of a ship that—

(a) is carrying hazardous and noxious substances,

(b) is registered in a State Party other than the State, and

(c) does not have on board a compulsory insurance certificate that complies with, and is issued or certified in accordance with, the said Article 12,

shall, while the ship concerned is in the State, each be guilty of an offence.

(5) The owner and master of a ship that—

(a) is carrying hazardous and noxious substances,

(b) is not registered in the State or another State Party, and

(i) a compulsory insurance certificate issued by the Minister under subsection (1), or

(ii) a compulsory insurance certificate that otherwise complies with, and is issued or certified in accordance with, the said Article 12,

shall, while the ship concerned is in the State, each be guilty of an offence.

(6) An application under subsection (1) shall be accompanied by such fee, not exceeding the expense incurred by the Minister in considering such application and issuing a compulsory insurance certificate, as may be prescribed by the Minister.

(7) The Public Offices Fees Act 1879 shall not apply to fees under this section.

(8) In this section—

“compulsory insurance certificate” shall be construed in accordance with Article 12 of the Convention;

“Irish ship” shall be construed in accordance with section 9 of the Mercantile Marine Act 1955.

16 Actions for compensation under Convention.

16.—(1) An action for compensation under the Convention (hereafter in this section referred to as a “convention action”) shall be deemed for the purposes of every enactment and rule of law to be an action founded on tort.

(2) Subsection (1) shall not have the effect of applying to a convention action a provision of an enactment or rule of law that is inconsistent with a provision of the Convention.

(3) A convention action shall be brought in the High Court.

17 Final judgment to be recognised and enforceable in State.

17.—(1) A final judgment shall be recognised and enforceable in the State.

(2) An application for the enforcement of a final judgment shall be made to the High Court.

(3) For the purposes of this Act a judgment shall be deemed to be a final judgment where—

(a) the time within which, under the law of the State Party concerned, an appeal against the judgment may be brought has expired and no such appeal has been brought,

(b) under the law of the State Party concerned there is no provision for an appeal from such judgment,

(d) the judgment has been affirmed on appeal by the convention court hearing such appeal, and

(i) the time within which, under the law of the State Party concerned, an appeal against the decision to so affirm has expired and no such appeal has been brought,

(ii) under the law of the State Party concerned there is no provision for an appeal from the decision to so affirm, or

(iii) an appeal against the decision to so affirm has been withdrawn.

(4) This section shall not apply to a judgment of a court of a Member State (other than a court or tribunal of a territory of a Member State to which the Council Regulation does not apply).

18 Application for enforcement order.

18.—(1) Subject to subsection (2), the High Court shall, on the hearing of an application for an order for the enforcement of a final judgment, make such an order to the extent that the amount of the compensation to which the judgment relates has not been satisfied.

(2) The High Court shall not make an order for the enforcement of a judgment where—

(a) the judgment concerned is not a final judgment,

(b) the judgment debtor was not served with the document instituting the proceedings in which the judgment was given in sufficient time to enable him or her to arrange for his or her defence, notwithstanding that notice of the proceedings may have been duly served on him or her in the State Party concerned, or

(3) Where, at the hearing of an appeal against an order under subsection (1), the appellant satisfies the court that the judgment in respect of which such order was made is not a final judgment, the court may, on such terms as it considers appropriate—

(a) set aside the enforcement order, or

(b) adjourn the appeal pending—

(i) in circumstances where no appeal against the judgment is brought in the State Party concerned, the expiration of the period within which, under the law of that State Party, an appeal against the judgment may be brought, or

(ii) in circumstances where such an appeal is brought, the outcome of any such appeal.

(4) This section shall not apply to a judgment of a court of a Member State (other than a court or tribunal of a territory of a Member State to which the Council Regulation does not apply).

19 Payment of interest on judgment and payment of costs.

19.—(1) An order under section 18 may, at the discretion of the court provide for the payment to the applicant concerned by the respondent concerned of the reasonable costs of or incidental to the application for the order.

(2) Where, on an application for an order under section 18, it is shown that, in accordance with the law of the State Party in which the judgment was given, interest on a sum, the payment of which is provided for in the judgment, is recoverable under the judgment at a particular rate or rates and from a particular date or time, the order, if made, shall provide that the person by whom the sum aforesaid is payable shall also be liable to pay the interest aforesaid apart from any interest on costs recoverable by virtue of subsection (1), in accordance with the particulars noted in the order, and the amount of the interest shall be recoverable by the applicant concerned as if it were part of the sum aforesaid:

Provided that where the judgment debtor limited his or her liability in accordance with Article 9 of the Convention the aggregate of the interest payable by virtue of this subsection and the amount of compensation payable by the judgment debtor in respect of the incident concerned shall not exceed the maximum amount of compensation payable under that Article in respect of any one incident caused by hazardous and noxious substances carried on board the ship concerned.

(3) Interest shall be payable on a sum referred to in subsection (2) of this section only as provided for by this section.

20 Effect of order under section 18.

20.—A final judgment in respect of which an order under section 18 has been made shall, to the extent to which the enforcement of that judgment is authorised by the enforcement order, be of the same force and effect as if the judgment were a judgment of the High Court.

21 Documents required to accompany application for order under section 18.

21.—(1) The following documents shall be attached to an application for an order under section 18, that is to say:

(a) a duly certified copy of the judgment to which the application relates,

(b) in the case of a judgment that was given in default of appearance or defence, a duly certified copy of the document that establishes that the party in default was served with the document instituting the proceedings to which the said judgment relates or with an equivalent document, and

(c) if the High Court so requires, a translation of the documents specified in paragraphs (a) and (b) certified as being a correct translation thereof by a person who is competent to so certify.

(2) For the purposes of this section—

(a) a document purporting to be a copy of a judgment shall be deemed to be duly certified if it purports—

(i) to bear the seal of the convention court that gave it, or

(ii) to be certified by any person in his or her capacity as a judge or officer of that court as being a true copy of the judgment, and

(b) a document purporting to be a copy of a document specified in subsection (1)(b) shall be deemed to be duly certified if it purports to be certified by a person who in relation to the convention court concerned performs functions the same as or similar to those performed in relation to a court in the State by the registrar or clerk thereof, as being a true copy of such document.

22 Recognition and enforcement of judgment of court or tribunal of Member State of European Community.

22.—The Council Regulation and the European Communities (Civil and Commercial Judgments) Regulations 2002 (S.I. No. 52 of 2002) shall apply in respect of a judgment of a court or tribunal of a Member State (other than a court or tribunal of a territory of a Member State to which the Council Regulation does not apply).

23 Inspectors.

23.—(1) The Minister may appoint such persons or classes of persons as he or she considers appropriate to be inspectors for the purposes of this Act.

(2) A person appointed under subsection (1) shall, on his or her appointment, be furnished by the Minister with a warrant of his or her appointment and when exercising a power conferred by this Act shall, if requested by any person thereby affected, produce such warrant to that person for inspection.

(3) Whenever an inspector has reasonable grounds for believing that an offence has been committed in relation to a ship under this section or section 15 and the ship concerned is in the State he or she may detain the ship or take it to such place in the State as he or she considers appropriate and there detain it.

(4) An inspector may, for the purposes of this Act—

(a) stop and board any ship,

(b) inspect and examine the ship,

(c) inspect and take copies of, or of extracts from the ship's log (if any) and the ship's manifest (if any) and any other records or documents on board the ship relating to the ship or its owner,

(d) require the master or any member of the crew of the ship to furnish him or her with such information or documents and give to him or her such assistance as he or she may reasonably require for the purpose of carrying out his or her functions under this Act,

(e) inspect and examine any cargo carried on board the ship, or

(f) inspect, examine and take samples of any hazardous and noxious substances carried on board the ship.

(5) A person who obstructs or interferes with an inspector in the performance of his or her functions under this Act or who fails or refuses to comply with a requirement of an inspector under subsection (4) shall be guilty of an offence.

(6) If a ship that has been detained pursuant to this section leaves or attempts to leave the place at which it has been detained the owner and the master of the ship concerned shall each be guilty of an offence.

24 Detention of ships.

24.—(1) Where an inspector, in exercise of the powers conferred on him or her by this Act, detains a ship and the persons on board the ship at a port or other place in the State, an inspector who suspects that an offence under section 15 or 23 has been committed in relation to the ship shall (unless he or she is proceeding under subsection (2)), as soon as may be, apply to a judge of the District Court for an order authorising the continued detention of the ship and those persons, and the said judge may grant an order authorising such detention for a period of 48 hours if he or she is satisfied that the applicant inspector has such a suspicion as aforementioned.

(2) Where an inspector, in exercise of the powers conferred on him or her by this Act, detains a ship and the persons on board the ship at a port or other place in the State, an inspector shall, as soon as may be, bring the master of the ship and any other persons on board the ship, against whom proceedings for an offence under section 15 or 23(6) have been or are about to be instituted, before a judge of the District Court and thereupon the said judge shall, if he or she is satisfied that such proceedings have been or are about to be instituted against the master and those other persons or any one or more of them, by order directed to an inspector, require such inspector to detain at a specified place in the State the ship and each person (including the master) aforesaid in respect of whom he or she is so satisfied, until such proceedings have been adjudicated upon by a court in exercise of its criminal jurisdiction, and when such proceedings are so adjudicated upon the judge of the court concerned may, by order, direct an inspector to further detain the ship at a specified place in the State pending the determination of any appeal from the adjudication concerned or the determination of any other proceedings connected with such adjudication or appeal.

(3) Where an inspector, pursuant to an order under subsection (1), continues to detain a ship and the persons on board the ship at a port or other place in the State, an inspector may bring the master and any other persons on board the ship, against whom proceedings for an offence under section 15 or 23(6) have been or are about to be instituted, before a judge of the District Court and such judge shall—

(a) before the expiration of the period of 48 hours to which the said order applies, and

(b) if he or she is satisfied that such proceedings have been or are about to be instituted against the master and those other persons or any one or more of them,

by order directed to an inspector, require such inspector to detain at a specified place in the State the ship and each person (including the master) aforesaid in respect of whom he or she is so satisfied until such proceedings have been adjudicated upon by a court in exercise of its criminal jurisdiction, and when such proceedings are so adjudicated upon the judge of the court concerned may, by order, direct an inspector to further detain the ship at a specified place in the State pending the determination of any appeal from the adjudication concerned or the determination of any other proceedings connected with such adjudication or appeal.

(4) Where an order is made under subsection (2) or (3), a judge of the District Court or, as may be appropriate, the judge of the court adjudicating upon proceedings referred to in those subsections or that has adjudicated upon such proceedings, may by order direct an inspector to release the ship to which the order applies, subject to the giving of security, by or on behalf of the defendant, that in the opinion of the judge concerned would be adequate to provide for the payment of—

(a) (i) in circumstances where a court has not yet adjudicated upon such proceedings, the maximum fine for which the defendant would be liable if guilty of the offence to which the proceedings relate, or

(ii) in circumstances where the defendant has been convicted in such proceedings, any fine imposed by the court concerned,

and

(b) the estimated amount of the costs (if any) of any trials, appeals or other proceedings in relation to such an offence for which the defendant would be liable if convicted thereof or would be liable, if on appeal from a conviction for such offence or on the conclusion of any other proceedings connected with such conviction, the conviction were affirmed.

(5) Subsection (3) is in addition to and not in substitution for any other power of a court to require the entering into of a bond or recognisance by the defendant in respect of any trials, appeals or other proceedings to which the offence concerned relates.

(6) Where an order is made under this section for the detention or release of a ship, the ship shall be detained or released, as the case may be, in accordance with the terms of the order.

25 Recovery of fines etc. for certain offences.

25.—(1) The following provisions shall have effect in relation to the recovery of a fine for an offence under this Act committed by the owner or master of the ship concerned and the costs (if any) ordered to be paid in respect of proceedings for such offence:

(a) the court concerned shall fix a time within which such fine and costs (if any) are to be paid;

(b) where the ship concerned is detained under section 24(2) or (3) the court shall by order direct an inspector to further detain the ship at a specified place in the State until such fine and costs (if any) are paid, and the inspector shall comply with such order;

(c) where such fine and costs (if any) are not paid within the said time, such fine and costs may be recovered by the distress and sale of such ship, her equipment, furniture and apparel;

(d) the court shall order—

(i) the payment in whole or in part of any moneys given as security in accordance with subsection (4) of section 24, or

(ii) the sale of any property real or personal given as security in accordance with the said subsection (4) and the payment in whole or in part of the proceeds of any such sale,

in satisfaction in whole or in part of such fine and costs (if any).

(2) Nothing in subsection (1) shall be construed as preventing a fine or costs to which that subsection applies being recovered from the defendant concerned by ordinary process of law.

26 Returns of hazardous and noxious substances received in the State.

26.—(1) The Minister may by regulations require such persons or classes of persons as are specified therein to submit to him or her—

(a) at such intervals, and

(b) in respect of such periods,

as may be so specified, returns of the amounts and types of hazardous and noxious substances received by them in the State.

(2) A person to whom regulations under subsection (1) apply who fails to submit a return in accordance with such regulations or who, in purported compliance with such regulations, submits a return that is false or misleading in a material respect shall be guilty of an offence.

27 Contributions to Fund.

27.—(1) Subject to paragraph 5 of Article 5 of the Convention, in each year such persons or classes of persons as may be prescribed by regulations of the Minister shall, in such manner and on or before such date as may be so prescribed, pay to the Fund such sums as may be determined by the Assembly of the Fund and certified by the Director of the Fund.

(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence.

PART 3 Miscellaneous

28 Construction of certain references in Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and Others) Act 1996.

28.—(1) References in Part II of the Merchant Shipping (Liability of Shipowners and Others) Act 1996 (other than section 7(2)), to the 1976 Convention shall be construed as references to that Convention as amended by the Protocol of 1996 (other than Article 8 of that Protocol).

(2) For convenience of reference, the text, in the English language, of the Protocol of 1996 is set out in Schedule 2.

(3) In this section “the Protocol of 1996” means the Protocol of 1996 to amend the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, 1976, done at London on the 2nd day of May, 1996.

29 Amendment of section 8 of Oil Pollution of the Sea (Civil Liability and Compensation) Act 1988.

29.—Subsection (2) of section 8 of the Oil Pollution of the Sea (Civil Liability and Compensation) Act 1988 (inserted by section 5 of the Oil Pollution of the Sea (Civil Liability and Compensation) (Amendment) Act 1998), is hereby amended by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (e):

“(e) any person performing salvage operations in relation to the ship with the consent of the owner of the ship or on the instructions of the Minister or a harbour authority, or”.

SCHEDULE 1 International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 1996

THE STATES PARTIES TO THE PRESENT CONVENTION,

CONSCIOUS of the dangers posed by the world-wide carriage by sea of hazardous and noxious substances,

CONVINCED of the need to ensure that adequate, prompt and effective compensation is available to persons who suffer damage caused by incidents in connection with the carriage by sea of such substances,

DESIRING to adopt uniform international rules and procedures for determining questions of liability and compensation in respect of such damage,

CONSIDERING that the economic consequences of damage caused by the carriage by sea of hazardous and noxious substances should be shared by the shipping industry and the cargo interests involved,

HAVE AGREED as follows:

SCHEDULE 2 Protocol of 1996 to amend the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, 1976

THE PARTIES TO THE PRESENT PROTOCOL,

CONSIDERING that it is desirable to amend the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, done at London on 19 November 1976, to provide for enhanced compensation and to establish a simplified procedure for updating the limitation amounts,

HAVE AGREED as follows: