Haiwen & Partners LLP Secures Major Victory in Maritime Arbitration
海問律師事務所欣然宣布，成功代表一家作為租船人的加拿大公司，在一宗根據《香港海事仲裁協會2021年仲裁規則》進行的復雜且高價值的海事仲裁中取得全面勝訴。
該爭議源于一份受英國法律管轄的航次租船合同，涉及從中國運送大型、定制的項目貨物至歐洲。由于承運船舶因一系列嚴重的港口國監督（PSC）缺陷在香港被扣留，貨物最終未能交付，嚴重影響了租船人參與一項時間緊迫的造船項目的進程。
The dispute arose from a voyage charterparty governed by English law, concerning the carriage of large, bespoke project cargo from China to Europe. After the carrying vessel was detained in Hong Kong due to a series of serious Port State Control (PSC) deficiencies, the cargo was never delivered, causing significant disruption to the charterer’s participation in a time-critical shipbuilding project.
本案雙方共同指定的仲裁員為一位常駐香港、經驗豐富且廣受認可的海事法律專家。他裁定涉案船舶在開航時并不適航，且船東未能履行個人謹慎義務，以確保船舶配員、設備和補給的充分。仲裁員還認定船東違反了合同中合理迅速完成航程及不得無正當理由偏航的默示義務。
The sole arbitrator, who was jointly appointed by the parties, is an experienced and well-regarded maritime practitioner based in Hong Kong, found that the vessel was unseaworthy at the time of departure and that the owners had failed to exercise personal due diligence to ensure the vessel was properly manned, equipped, and supplied. The arbitrator also held that the owners breached implied contractual obligations to perform the voyage with reasonable despatch and to avoid unjustifiable deviation.
在裁決中，仲裁員判令船東承擔包括損害賠償、利息和費用在內的全部責任，裁決總金額超過150萬美元。裁決支持租船人因采購替代貨物所支出的全部費用，盡管該費用明顯高于原始成本，同時還包括利息和大部分法律及仲裁費用。仲裁員認可該批貨物為專門定制，且對于整個船舶建造進度至關重要，在卸貨港沒有可行的替代品。因此，仲裁員突破了通?；谑袌鰞r值的賠償方式，采納了更貼合項目實際情況的損失評估方法。
In a final award, the arbitrator held the owners liable for substantial damages, interest, and costs, with the total award exceeding US$1.5 million. It awarded full compensation for the procurement of replacement cargo, despite significantly higher costs than the original, along with interest and a high proportion of legal and arbitral costs. The arbitrator accepted that the cargo was uniquely manufactured and essential to a larger construction schedule, with no viable substitute available at the discharge port. As a result, the arbitrator departed from the typical market-based approach to damages and adopted a broader, project-sensitive assessment of loss.
該裁決的重要性不僅在于金額，更在于其所帶來的法律意義。仲裁員駁回了船東試圖以其為租船合同鏈中作為轉租船東（或稱“二船東”）身份限制責任的抗辯，明確裁定在上游船東和技術管理人出現失誤并導致船舶被扣留、無法完成航程的情況下，轉租船東亦可被直接追責，宛如他們是船主一般。此外，該裁決亦遵從了英國法院在 The Sur [2019] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 527 一案的立場，確認了偏航應被視為一個獨立的法律范疇，并適用因歷史與商業原因發展出的特別法律規則。
This outcome is significant not only for the size of the award, but for its broader legal implications. The arbitrator rejected attempts by the owners to limit liability on the basis of their status as disponent owners within a charterparty chain. The award reaffirms that disponent owners can be held directly responsible for failures of upstream owners and technical managers, as if they were the shipowners, especially where such failures result in detentions that frustrate the underlying commercial purpose of a voyage. Further, the award follows the English Court’s decision in The Sur [2019] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 527 and confirms that deviation constitutes a sui generis body of legal authority, with special rules derived from historical and commercial reasons.
“我們非常自豪能夠取得這一裁決結果，它不僅充分維護了客戶的合法權益，也為海事仲裁法律的發展作出貢獻”，海問律師事務所合伙人劉洋表示。“本案凸顯了船舶適航性、盡職義務以及在航次租船合同中履約責任的重要性，尤其是在涉及項目貨物和緊迫交付時間表的情形下。”
“We are proud to have secured a result that not only vindicates our client’s position but also contributes to the development of maritime arbitration jurisprudence,” said Edward Liu, Partner at Haiwen & Partners LLP. “This case reinforces the importance of vessel suitability, due diligence, and accountability in the performance of voyage charterparties, particularly where project cargo and tight delivery schedules are involved.”
本案由海問香港辦公室合伙人劉洋律師領導，吳華佳高級律師與黎淇瀚律師為主要承辦人。
The case was lead by Edward Liu, Partner at Haiwen & Partners LLP, supported by Lori Ng (Senior Associate) and Aaron Lai (Associate) as main handlers.
這一結果再次體現了海問在國際仲裁及海事法律領域的深厚專業能力。海問長期處理涉及航運、貿易、基礎設施及能源等行業的高價值跨境爭議，案件通常涉及復雜的事實、法律及技術問題。海問始終致力于為客戶在國際爭議解決中提供具有戰略性、效率性和商業導向的解決方案。
This result again reflects Haiwen & Partners LLP’s deep expertise in international arbitration and maritime law. The firm regularly advises on high-value, cross-border disputes involving sophisticated factual, legal, and technical issues across the shipping, trade, infrastructure, and energy sectors. Haiwen remains committed to delivering strategic, efficient, and commercially focused outcomes for clients navigating complex international proceedings.
主要成員
Haiwen & Partners LLP Secures Major Victory in Maritime Arbitration
海問律師事務所欣然宣布，成功代表一家作為租船人的加拿大公司，在一宗根據《香港海事仲裁協會2021年仲裁規則》進行的復雜且高價值的海事仲裁中取得全面勝訴。
該爭議源于一份受英國法律管轄的航次租船合同，涉及從中國運送大型、定制的項目貨物至歐洲。由于承運船舶因一系列嚴重的港口國監督（PSC）缺陷在香港被扣留，貨物最終未能交付，嚴重影響了租船人參與一項時間緊迫的造船項目的進程。
The dispute arose from a voyage charterparty governed by English law, concerning the carriage of large, bespoke project cargo from China to Europe. After the carrying vessel was detained in Hong Kong due to a series of serious Port State Control (PSC) deficiencies, the cargo was never delivered, causing significant disruption to the charterer’s participation in a time-critical shipbuilding project.
本案雙方共同指定的仲裁員為一位常駐香港、經驗豐富且廣受認可的海事法律專家。他裁定涉案船舶在開航時并不適航，且船東未能履行個人謹慎義務，以確保船舶配員、設備和補給的充分。仲裁員還認定船東違反了合同中合理迅速完成航程及不得無正當理由偏航的默示義務。
The sole arbitrator, who was jointly appointed by the parties, is an experienced and well-regarded maritime practitioner based in Hong Kong, found that the vessel was unseaworthy at the time of departure and that the owners had failed to exercise personal due diligence to ensure the vessel was properly manned, equipped, and supplied. The arbitrator also held that the owners breached implied contractual obligations to perform the voyage with reasonable despatch and to avoid unjustifiable deviation.
在裁決中，仲裁員判令船東承擔包括損害賠償、利息和費用在內的全部責任，裁決總金額超過150萬美元。裁決支持租船人因采購替代貨物所支出的全部費用，盡管該費用明顯高于原始成本，同時還包括利息和大部分法律及仲裁費用。仲裁員認可該批貨物為專門定制，且對于整個船舶建造進度至關重要，在卸貨港沒有可行的替代品。因此，仲裁員突破了通?；谑袌鰞r值的賠償方式，采納了更貼合項目實際情況的損失評估方法。
In a final award, the arbitrator held the owners liable for substantial damages, interest, and costs, with the total award exceeding US$1.5 million. It awarded full compensation for the procurement of replacement cargo, despite significantly higher costs than the original, along with interest and a high proportion of legal and arbitral costs. The arbitrator accepted that the cargo was uniquely manufactured and essential to a larger construction schedule, with no viable substitute available at the discharge port. As a result, the arbitrator departed from the typical market-based approach to damages and adopted a broader, project-sensitive assessment of loss.
該裁決的重要性不僅在于金額，更在于其所帶來的法律意義。仲裁員駁回了船東試圖以其為租船合同鏈中作為轉租船東（或稱“二船東”）身份限制責任的抗辯，明確裁定在上游船東和技術管理人出現失誤并導致船舶被扣留、無法完成航程的情況下，轉租船東亦可被直接追責，宛如他們是船主一般。此外，該裁決亦遵從了英國法院在 The Sur [2019] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 527 一案的立場，確認了偏航應被視為一個獨立的法律范疇，并適用因歷史與商業原因發展出的特別法律規則。
This outcome is significant not only for the size of the award, but for its broader legal implications. The arbitrator rejected attempts by the owners to limit liability on the basis of their status as disponent owners within a charterparty chain. The award reaffirms that disponent owners can be held directly responsible for failures of upstream owners and technical managers, as if they were the shipowners, especially where such failures result in detentions that frustrate the underlying commercial purpose of a voyage. Further, the award follows the English Court’s decision in The Sur [2019] 1 Lloyd’s Rep 527 and confirms that deviation constitutes a sui generis body of legal authority, with special rules derived from historical and commercial reasons.
“我們非常自豪能夠取得這一裁決結果，它不僅充分維護了客戶的合法權益，也為海事仲裁法律的發展作出貢獻”，海問律師事務所合伙人劉洋表示。“本案凸顯了船舶適航性、盡職義務以及在航次租船合同中履約責任的重要性，尤其是在涉及項目貨物和緊迫交付時間表的情形下。”
“We are proud to have secured a result that not only vindicates our client’s position but also contributes to the development of maritime arbitration jurisprudence,” said Edward Liu, Partner at Haiwen & Partners LLP. “This case reinforces the importance of vessel suitability, due diligence, and accountability in the performance of voyage charterparties, particularly where project cargo and tight delivery schedules are involved.”
本案由海問香港辦公室合伙人劉洋律師領導，吳華佳高級律師與黎淇瀚律師為主要承辦人。
The case was lead by Edward Liu, Partner at Haiwen & Partners LLP, supported by Lori Ng (Senior Associate) and Aaron Lai (Associate) as main handlers.
這一結果再次體現了海問在國際仲裁及海事法律領域的深厚專業能力。海問長期處理涉及航運、貿易、基礎設施及能源等行業的高價值跨境爭議，案件通常涉及復雜的事實、法律及技術問題。海問始終致力于為客戶在國際爭議解決中提供具有戰略性、效率性和商業導向的解決方案。
This result again reflects Haiwen & Partners LLP’s deep expertise in international arbitration and maritime law. The firm regularly advises on high-value, cross-border disputes involving sophisticated factual, legal, and technical issues across the shipping, trade, infrastructure, and energy sectors. Haiwen remains committed to delivering strategic, efficient, and commercially focused outcomes for clients navigating complex international proceedings.
主要成員
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