Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Transportation in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute is set to host the 16th edition of the International Maritime Seminar for Judges under the chairmanship of His Lordship, Hon. Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour CFR, retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The event, which has been described by stakeholders as a prime event in the nation’s maritime calendar, will take place at Ladi Kwali Centre, Sheraton Abuja Hotel, from 5th – 7th July, 2022, from 9:00am – 5:00pm daily.
As the industry arbiter, it is the mandate of the Council to ensure judicial officers, legal and maritime practitioners as well as Legal Advisers and in-house counsel in the employ of public and private sectors of the economy are abreast of contemporary issues in this special area of the law that has to do with adjudication on maritime matters.
The 16th edition should have taken place in 2020 but was postponed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and consequent lockdowns.
While the Minister of State for Transportation, Senator Gbemisola Saraki is expected to be the Chief Host; the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, GCON, will serve as the Special Guest of Honour.
An array of eminent jurists, erudite scholars and seasoned Maritime/Legal practitioners from the judiciary, foreign experts from Kenya and Australia will deliver papers aimed at addressing several burning and complex issues bedeviling the maritime industry.
Some of the topics to be deliberated at the summit include; Application of Torts and Bailment in Bill of Lading Contracts; Current Issues in Port Operations (Standard Operating Procedure in ports and arising legal issues, Nigerian Customs E-Vin Valuation Method, matters arising); Current Issues in Maritime Adjudication and Practice (The Challenges of simple Contracts in the adjudication of maritime claims in Nigeria; ‘Sui Generis’ in Admiralty and the Jurisdiction over Crew wages in Nigeria; and Cargo Clearance & the Limits of Admiralty Jurisdiction.);
Others are; Security of the Maritime Domain (Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea): Suppression of Piracy and other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act, Matters Arising; Case Management in the Resolution of Maritime Disputes: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Arbitration and the use of Technology; and Stress Management.
Participants at the seminar include; Justices of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and Judges of the Federal and States High Courts, Legal Advisers, in-house Counsel, Legal and Maritime Practitioners as well as industry stakeholders.
Other distinguished dignitaries expected at the occasion include; The Chief Justices of The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone and South Africa along with some Justices/Judges of these countries’ respective judiciaries.
This information was disseminated via a press statement signed by the Head of Public Relations at NSC, Rakiya Dhikru-Yagboyaju.