Admiralty and Maritime Law in India is governed by the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017, which aligns with international conventions like the 1999 International Convention on the Arrest of Ships. This Act empowers High Courts of coastal states to order ship arrests for securing maritime claims.
A ship can be arrested to secure claims related to vessel ownership, unpaid services, cargo damage, crew wages, and more. To initiate an arrest, the claimant files an admiralty suit, and if the claim is valid, the court orders the ship’s detention until the issue is resolved.
If the arrest is wrongful, the shipowner can seek damages. Once a dispute is not settled, the court may order the sale of the vessel to satisfy the claim, ensuring maritime claims are enforced effectively.
