Case Summaries
London Arbitration 1/22
Time Charterers relied on vessel underperformance and withheld final hire. Owners claimed that the deduction was not made in good faith or on reasonable grounds. The Tribunal dismissed Charterers' reliance on a weather routing report, and held Charterers had failed to address the question of good faith, to substantiate their off-hire claim, and to address Owners’ assertion there was no speed/consumption warranty (the fixture containing the words “all details about/in good faith”). Owners were entitled to payment.
Navig8 Chemicals Pool Inc v Aeturnum Energy International Pte Ltd (Consequential Matters) [2021] EWHC 3435 – 20 December 2021 (Christopher Hancock QC)
Time Charterers Navig8 sought costs on an indemnity basis, together with interest on damages awarded, arguing Voyage Charterers Aeturnum’s abrupt disengagement from the proceedings and their failure to comply with an interim injunction (to replace Navig8’s guarantee securing release of the arrested vessel) were “out of the norm”, and resulted in lengthier and costlier proceedings. The Court held indemnity costs were justifiable, and that Aeternum’s disengagement part way through had undoubtedly increased costs. Interest was awarded with the appropriate rate held to be the three-month USD LIBOR plus uplift of 2.5% compounded at three-monthly rests.
Navig8 Chemicals Pool Inc v Aeturnum Energy International Pte Ltd (Consequential Matters) [2021] EWHC 3435 – 20 December 2021 (Christopher Hancock QC)
Time Charterers Navig8 sought costs on an indemnity basis, together with interest on damages awarded, arguing Voyage Charterers Aeturnum’s abrupt disengagement from the proceedings and their failure to comply with an interim injunction (to replace Navig8’s guarantee securing release of the arrested vessel) were “out of the norm”, and resulted in lengthier and costlier proceedings. The Court held indemnity costs were justifiable, and that Aeternum’s disengagement part way through had undoubtedly increased costs. Interest was awarded with the appropriate rate held to be the three-month USD LIBOR plus uplift of 2.5% compounded at three-monthly rests.