Glossary — legal

MLC 2006, SOLAS, MARPOL, ISPS, ISM, STCW, UNCLOS, charter parties, P&I.

103 terms in this category.

• AFS Convention
  International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-Fouling Systems on Ships (2001).
• Ballast Water Management Convention (BWM Convention)
  The 2004 IMO convention requiring ships to manage ballast water to prevent transfer of invasive aquatic species between regions.
• Ballast Water Record Book (BWRB)
  A mandatory log recording all ballast water uptake, treatment, exchange, and discharge operations under the BWM Convention.
• Bareboat Charter
  Demise charter where charterer takes full operational control, including crewing and maintenance, for a fixed period.
• Bill of Lading (B/L)
  A legal document issued by a carrier acknowledging receipt of cargo for shipment, serving as a receipt, title document, and contract of carriage.
• Bill of Lading — Types
  Order, bearer, straight, sea waybill — distinguishes how title/possession transfers and whether the document is negotiable.
• Bridge Log
  A watchkeeping record maintained on the bridge detailing courses steered, speed, weather conditions, and watch handovers.
• Call Sign
  An ITU-assigned alphanumeric identifier used to identify a vessel during radio communications.
• Certificate of Competency (CoC)
  Statutory licence issued by a flag state under STCW certifying a seafarer's qualification for a deck or engine rank.
• Certificate of Proficiency (CoP)
  STCW certificate for ratings and supporting-level functions (e.g., AB, RFPNW, fast-rescue boat).
• Certificate of Registry
  An official document issued by the flag state confirming the vessel's registration, nationality, and ownership details.
• Charter Party (C/P)
  A contract between a shipowner and a charterer for the hire of a vessel or cargo space, setting out terms and conditions of the voyage.
• Classification Society
  A non-governmental organisation that establishes and verifies structural and mechanical standards for ship construction and maintenance.
• COLREGs (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea) (COLREGs)
  The 1972 IMO convention setting the rules of the road for preventing collisions at sea — steering, sailing, lights, shapes, sound signals.
• Continuous Synopsis Record (CSR)
  Statutory document recording the history of a ship's flag, name, owner, ISM company and class society.
• Contract of Affreightment (COA)
  Long-term contract obliging the carrier to lift a stated quantity of cargo over a defined period using nominated tonnage.
• Deck Log
  The official daily record of the ship's position, weather, incidents, crew changes, and navigational events kept by deck officers.
• Demurrage
  A penalty charge payable by the charterer when a vessel is kept at the loading or discharging berth beyond the agreed laytime.
• Document of Compliance (DOC)
  A certificate issued to a shipping company confirming its Safety Management System meets ISM Code requirements.
• Emission Control Area (ECA)
  A sea area designated under MARPOL Annex VI where stricter limits on sulfur and NOx emissions from ships apply.
• Engine Log
  The official daily record maintained by the engine department of machinery performance, fuel consumption, and maintenance events.
• Equasis
  A free public database providing safety-related information on commercial vessels including inspection history, class, and owner details.
• Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
  A sea zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from a coastal state's baseline where it has sovereign rights over resources.
• FAL Convention (Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic) (FAL)
  The IMO convention standardising the documentation required by port + immigration authorities for ships in international trade.
• FIO / FIOST
  Free-In-and-Out (FIO) and Free-In-Out-Stowed-Trimmed (FIOST) clauses placing cargo handling cost / responsibility on the charterer.
• Flag of Convenience (FOC)
  Registration of a vessel in a country offering lower taxes or less strict regulations than the owner's home nation.
• Garbage Record Book (GRB)
  A mandatory log recording all garbage disposal and incineration operations on board, required under MARPOL Annex V.
• GENCON
  BIMCO general voyage charter party (1994 / 2022 revisions); industry-standard for dry-cargo voyage employment.
• General Average (GA)
  Maritime law principle: voluntary sacrifice or expense made for the common safety of vessel and cargo is shared proportionally by all interests.
• Hague-Visby Rules
  The amended 1924 Hague Rules governing carrier liability for cargo under bills of lading, widely incorporated into national law.
• Hamburg Rules
  The 1978 UN convention on the carriage of goods by sea, placing greater liability on carriers than the Hague-Visby Rules.
• Hours of Rest
  Minimum 10 h rest in any 24 h and 77 h in any 7 days, as required by STCW VIII/1 and MLC 2006.
• Hull & Machinery Insurance (H&M)
  Marine insurance covering the vessel itself against perils of the sea, fire, collision, etc.
• IGF Code
  International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low-flashpoint Fuels.
• IMDG Code
  International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code — mandatory packaging, marking, segregation, and stowage rules for DG in packaged form.
• IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap
  Global cap on marine fuel sulphur content reduced to 0.50% mass on 1 January 2020 (0.10% in ECAs).
• IMO GHG Strategy
  IMO 2023 strategy targeting net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping 'by or around' 2050, with checkpoints for 2030 and 2040.
• IMO Number
  A unique seven-digit identifier assigned to a ship for life, used to track its history regardless of flag, owner, or name changes.
• Innocent Passage
  The right of foreign ships to navigate through a coastal state's territorial sea continuously and without prejudice to its peace or security.
• International Association of Classification Societies (IACS)
  A body of twelve major classification societies that collectively establish and promote uniform technical standards for ship construction and maintenance.
• International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)
  The main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the sea by ships from operational and accidental causes.
• International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)
  The primary IMO convention setting minimum safety standards for ship construction, equipment, and operation.
• International Group of P&I Clubs (IGP&I)
  Association of 12 mutual P&I clubs sharing claims via a pooling/reinsurance arrangement covering ~90% of world tonnage.
• International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs)
  IMO rules prescribing conduct of vessels to prevent collisions, including lights, shapes, sound signals, and steering rules.
• International Safety Management Code (ISM Code)
  IMO code requiring shipping companies to establish a Safety Management System to ensure safe ship operation and pollution prevention.
• International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code)
  IMO code mandating security plans, officers, and assessments for ships and port facilities to prevent terrorism and unlawful acts.
• Letter of Indemnity (LOI)
  Written undertaking — typically by charterer to owner — to indemnify against losses arising from delivering cargo without original bill of lading.
• Lloyd's Open Form (LOF)
  Standard salvage agreement on 'no cure, no pay' basis administered by Lloyd's Salvage Arbitration Branch.
• Load Line Certificate
  A certificate assigned by the flag state or classification society specifying the minimum freeboard and maximum loading depth for each zone.
• Loss of Hire Insurance (LOH)
  Insurance covering loss of charter hire when the vessel is off-hire due to a covered H&M peril.
• Loss Prevention Circular
  Bulletin issued by P&I Clubs to highlight emerging claim trends and recommend operational improvements.
• LSA Code (International Life-Saving Appliance Code) (LSA Code)
  The IMO code specifying life-saving appliance construction + performance standards — mandatory under SOLAS Chapter III.
• Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC)
  ILO convention establishing minimum working, living, and social security standards for seafarers worldwide.
• MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) (MARPOL)
  The IMO's principal environmental convention — six annexes covering oil (I), noxious liquid substances (II), harmful packaged substances (III), sewage (IV), garbage (V), air pollution + GHG (VI).
• MARPOL Annex I
  The annex of MARPOL regulating prevention of pollution by oil, covering operational discharges and accidental spills from ships.
• MARPOL Annex II
  The annex of MARPOL controlling discharge of noxious liquid substances carried in bulk, applicable to chemical tankers.
• MARPOL Annex III
  Regulations for the prevention of pollution by harmful substances carried at sea in packaged form.
• MARPOL Annex V
  The annex of MARPOL governing disposal of garbage from ships, prohibiting most plastics discharge into the sea.
• MARPOL Annex VI
  The annex of MARPOL setting limits on sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and other air pollutant emissions from ships.
• Minimum Safe Manning
  Flag-state-issued document specifying the minimum manning by rank/qualification for safe operation of the ship.
• MLC 2006 (Maritime Labour Convention) (MLC)
  The ILO Maritime Labour Convention 2006 — the seafarers' bill of rights covering employment, hours + rest, accommodation, food + catering, medical care, and repatriation.
• MLC Financial Security
  The MLC 2006 A2.5.2 + A4.2.1 mandatory insurance covering seafarer repatriation + wages during abandonment + shipowner liability for occupational injury/death.
• MLC Financial Security — Abandonment
  MLC 2014 amendment requiring shipowners to maintain insurance/financial security for repatriation, wages, and essential needs of abandoned seafarers.
• MMSI Number (MMSI)
  A nine-digit Maritime Mobile Service Identity used to identify a ship's radio and AIS transmissions uniquely.
• Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention
  International convention (entered into force 2015) that gives coastal states the right and obligation to remove hazardous wrecks in their EEZ at the registered owner's expense.
• NYPE Charter
  New York Produce Exchange standard time charter form, widely used for dry-cargo time charters.
• Oil Record Book (ORB)
  A mandatory log in which all oil-related operations including bilge pumping and bunkering must be recorded under MARPOL Annex I.
• P&I Club
  Mutual insurance association covering shipowners' third-party liabilities (cargo claims, pollution, crew, collision liability not covered by H&M).
• P&I Correspondent
  Local agent appointed by a P&I Club to assist members with on-the-spot incidents (claims, surveys, casualty response) in a specific port.
• Paris Memorandum of Understanding (Paris MOU)
  A regional port state control arrangement covering European and North Atlantic waters with 27 member maritime authorities.
• Particular Average
  Loss falling on a single interest (ship or cargo) without contribution from others; opposite of general average.
• Places of Refuge
  Sheltered locations where a ship in distress can be moved to stabilise, transfer cargo, or undergo emergency repair, granted by coastal-state authorities.
• Polar Code
  IMO mandatory code (2017) governing ship design, equipment, and operations in Arctic and Antarctic waters.
• Polar Ship Certificate
  Statutory certificate confirming the ship meets Polar Code Category A, B, or C requirements.
• Port State Control (PSC)
  Inspection regime where a coastal nation's surveyors inspect foreign vessels in its ports for compliance with international conventions.
• RightShip
  A third-party maritime risk-assessment platform providing GHG ratings and vetting inspections used by cargo owners to screen vessels.
• Rotterdam Rules
  The 2008 UN convention on contracts for international carriage of goods wholly or partly by sea, modernising earlier cargo liability regimes.
• Safety Management Certificate (SMC)
  A certificate issued to a ship confirming its Safety Management System is operating in accordance with the ISM Code.
• Salvage Award
  Sum payable to salvors fixed by tribunal/court, considering value salved, danger, skill, and prevention of environmental damage.
• SCOPIC Clause
  Special Compensation P&I Club clause attached to Lloyd's Open Form (LOF) salvage agreements, replacing the unworkable Article 14 of the Salvage Convention 1989.
• SEA (Seafarer Employment Agreement) (SEA)
  The seafarer's individual employment contract required under MLC 2006 Standard A2.1.
• Sea Waybill
  Non-negotiable transport document acting as cargo receipt and contract of carriage, delivered to the named consignee on identification.
• Seafarer Employment Agreement (SEA)
  Written contract between seafarer and shipowner required by MLC 2006; sets terms of employment, repatriation, leave, and complaint procedures.
• Shelltime
  Shell-issued tanker time charter party form, currently Shelltime 4 (1984, amended 2003).
• SID (Seafarers' Identity Document) (SID)
  The biometric international ID document for seafarers issued under ILO Conventions 108 + 185.
• SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) (SOLAS)
  The foundational IMO convention on merchant-ship safety — construction, life-saving, fire, navigation, radiocommunication, dangerous goods, and safety management.
• SOLAS Chapter III
  The chapter of SOLAS covering life-saving appliance requirements including lifeboats, liferafts, immersion suits, and drills.
• SOLAS Chapter IX
  The chapter of SOLAS making the ISM Code mandatory for ships, requiring companies to hold a Document of Compliance.
• SOLAS Chapter V
  The chapter of SOLAS dealing with safety of navigation, requiring ECDIS, AIS, VDR, pilot ladders, and bridge watchkeeping standards.
• SOx Emission Control Area
  Designated sea area where 0.10% sulphur cap applies — Baltic, North Sea, North America, US Caribbean, Mediterranean (from 2025).
• Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW)
  International convention setting minimum training, certification, and watchkeeping standards for merchant ship officers and crew.
• STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) (STCW)
  The IMO convention setting the international minimum standards for seafarer training, certification, and watchkeeping.
• STCW Flag Endorsement
  Document issued by a flag state recognising another state's STCW CoC for service on its flag — often called a 'flag endorsement' or 'recognition endorsement'.
• STCW Medical Fitness Certificate
  Medical certificate confirming a seafarer meets STCW Reg. I/9 and ILO MLC standards for vision, hearing, and general health.
• Subrogation
  Insurer's right, after paying a claim, to step into the insured's shoes and pursue recovery from the wrongdoer.
• Territorial Waters
  The belt of coastal waters extending up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline over which a coastal state has full sovereignty.
• Time Charter
  Charter party hiring the vessel for a fixed period; charterer directs employment, owner provides crew/insurance/maintenance.
• Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding (Tokyo MOU)
  A regional port state control arrangement covering the Asia-Pacific region, established in 1993 with 21 member authorities.
• Tonnage Certificate
  A statutory certificate stating a ship's gross and net tonnage calculated under the International Tonnage Convention 1969.
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
  The international treaty defining rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world's oceans, including maritime zones.
• Voyage Charter
  Charter party where the shipowner places the vessel at the charterer's disposal for one specified voyage at an agreed freight rate.
• WIBON
  'Whether In Berth Or Not' — clause allowing NOR to be tendered before the vessel reaches the berth.
• York-Antwerp Rules
  International rules governing the calculation and apportionment of general average; current versions YAR 1994, 2016.