International Maritime Trade Law (LAWS7876)

Course overview

The vast majority of worldwide imports and exports are carried by sea, whether in bulk form, for example, oil, grain and coal, or as containerised cargo. This course covers the international contractual arrangements that facilitate this trade, with a focus on the contracts for the carriage of such goods by sea, including charterparties and bills of lading, as well as the insurance contracts that ensure the viability of this maritime trade. The course covers the solutions adopted in the international standard form contracts used in international trade and the interpretations of these by the courts in the context of mandatory international conventions such as the Hague-Visby Rules or the Rotterdam Convention. Given the international focus of this course it will suite both Australian and overseas students and provides the basis for the consideration of a range of other international trade issue. For a comprehensive coverage of international maritime law, this course should be taken together with LAWS7865 International Admiralty and Maritime Law.

80% of global trade (by volume) and 70% (by value) is carried by sea. International Maritime Trade Law is concerned with one of the most important issues in that international trade, namely the legal relations between the parties involved in the carriage and delivery of goods by sea. The course concentrates on the standard form contracts used in such international carriage, as influenced by international conventions (eg the Hague Rules) and national statutes. The approach is commercial in context and international in outlook, and informed by over 150 years of case law experience.

The commercial nature of the contract of carriage of goods by sea invariably involves a number of acute questions for traders and shipowners. This course examines the nature of the legal relationship between the shipowner, the shipper of the goods and the consignee of the goods; the manner in which this relationship is affected by the chartering and sub-chartering of the vessel to a non-owner; and the responsibility for loss or damage to the goods or delay in delivery of the goods. It considers carriage of bulk cargoes (eg oil, coal and ore) as well as packaged and containerised cargo. We will look at the most recent move for international reform, the Rotterdam Rules 2008 (which are actively under consideration in a number of states).

Course requirements

Assumed background

The course is suitable for all law students who have studied contract law and who have an interest in international maritime law and trade law. Students from non-common law backgrounds will be able to follow the course and will gain experience in reading and understanding casesﾠ- particularly those which interpret conventions and standard form contracts. The course is also suitable for students with a non-law background, especially thoseﾠwho have relevant commercial or shipping experience (though this is not a prerequisit).

This course stands on its own as a maritime law subject, but will also fit very well together with other maritime and trade law subjects, including International Admiralty and Maritime Law, Marine Insurance Law, International Trade Finance Law,ﾠand International Sale of Goods Law.

Restrictions

LLM(#16), LLM(#24), MICLaw Quota: Minimum of 12 enrolments

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Aims and outcomes

Teaching Mission Statement

The mission of the TC Beirne School of Law is to educate students in and about the law. We seek to assist you to think critically about the law and to investigate its structures, principles, policies, and values. This is achieved by engaging with you as fellow investigators in a range of critical and intellectual conversations about the law and its place in society. Our role is thus to guide you in your own intellectual journey in the law and to equip you with the necessary skills that will enable you to continue that journey long after you have left the School.

Course Aims

The course aims to provide students with an opportunity to explore the commercial aspects of maritime law in relation to the carriage of goods by sea.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Short answer assessment

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

40%

Due date

10/04/2025 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02

Task description

Submission guidelines

Assignments must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Extension to Assessment Due Date

Where an extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered is available, any extension is limited to one week (7 days). In exceptional circumstances, extensions may be granted for more than one week, but in no case will an extension exceed four weeks (28 days) in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should apply for removal of course.

A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure .

Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.

Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Penalties for Late Submission

The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).

First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.

More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.

Problem Solution

• Online

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

60%

Due date

12/06/2025 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03

Task description

Submission guidelines

Assignments must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Extension to Assessment Due Date

Where an extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered is available, any extension is limited to one week (7 days). In exceptional circumstances, extensions may be granted for more than one week, but in no case will an extension exceed four weeks (28 days) in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should apply for removal of course.

A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure .

Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.

Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

Penalties for Late Submission

The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).

First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.

More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

School guidelines

Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course:

• Law School Announcements and Policies