6.7.4. Admiralty Bill, 2016

The Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2016 has been passed by the Parliament in July, 2017. Admiralty jurisdiction relates to powers of the High Courts in respect of claims associated with transport by sea and navigable waterways. Under the present statutory framework, the admiralty jurisdiction of Indian courts flow from laws enacted in the British era. The proposed Bill consolidates the existing laws relating to admiralty jurisdiction of courts, admiralty proceedings on maritime claims, arrest of vessels and related issues and repeals five obsolete British statues on admiralty jurisdiction in civil matters. The Bill confers admiralty jurisdiction on High Courts located in coastal states of India and this jurisdiction extends upto territorial waters. This legislative proposal will fulfill a long-standing demand of the maritime legal fraternity.