The Admiralty Newsletter - 28 April, 2026
A weekly briefing featuring insights from shipping's leading lawyers covering regulatory updates, emerging risks, and the practical implications of new case law.
This week’s edition of The Admiralty Newsletter reviews early expectations for MEPC 84 and the likely direction of change under MARPOL Annex VI. South Africa has updated its oil‑pollution regime, and Ecuador’s adoption of the Hamburg Rules reshapes cargo‑claims risk. Biofuel blends, meanwhile, show how greener bunkers can bring greyer liability. And as shipping’s risk map shifts, law firms are moving too with plenty of new partners and refreshed teams.
Case law
Hormuz passage not settled law, lawyers warn (TradeWinds)
Happy Aras: When “Negligence” Becomes “Incompetence” – A Charterer’s Defence Playbook on General Average (The MECO Group)
Letters of credit – Does the buyer remain on the hook? (Floyd Zadkovich)
Arbitration awards: a rare, successful challenge on the ground of serious irregularity (Hill Dickinson)
Limitation in respect of Wreck Removal Costs (MFB Solicitors)
Security is not a suit: what shipowners need to know after The Taikoo Brilliance (Penningtons Manches Cooper)
Singapore High Court Draws Sharp Distinction Between Compensatory and Preventive Indemnities under SALEFORM 2012 (Rajah & Tann )
Buyer of vessels – application for interim mandatory injunction (Norton Rose Fulbright)
Regulatory
“Regulatory Unfitness to Trade”: The New Seaworthiness Frontier in Decarbonisation Disputes (Part III – FuelEU Maritime) (Arun Kasi & Co)
MARPOL Annex VI (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) – Key Developments for 2026 (Clyde & Co)
MEPC 84 early expectations (Lloyd’s Register)
South Africa: The Marine Oil Pollution (Preparedness, Response and Cooperation) Act 8 of 2025 (NorthStandard)
Ecuador: Entry into force of the Hamburg Rules on 1 August 2026 (West of England P&I)
Sanctions: EU approves 20th package against Russia - maritime services ban on hold (Hill Dickinson)
Sanctions against Russia: EU’s 20th Sanctions Package – No Maritime Services Ban…Yet (UK Defence Club)
Maritime incidents involving biofuel blends: what is the legal safety net? (Van Traa)
News & Opinion
Hormuz revisited: 36 Stone’s follow-up briefing on the still dire Strait (36 Group)
Blockade and Capture: the significance of M/V TOUSKA (Chalos & Co, P.C.)
Tolling the Strait of Hormuz, Part 2: Who Pays, What Insurance Covers, and How to Protect YourPosition (Hadef & Partners)
Between rules and orders: shipping’s compliance dilemma in a fractured world (Lloyd’s List)
Impacts of the Middle East crisis on charterparty disputes (Kennedys)
Legal implications of the Iran conflict for energy and commodity traders (Norton Rose Fulbright)
The Hormuz crisis: are the Iran and US blockades illegal? (Penningtons Manches Cooper)
Contracts in the Crossfire: Three Contract Fault Lines Exposed by the 2026 Iran War (RHT Law Asia)
When red flags change meaning: Rethinking maritime sanctions risk in times of crisis (HKA)
Well Heeled - April 2026 (Stephenson Harwood)
Canadian Nation presses IMO on compensation for devastating 2016 oil spill (TradeWinds)
Stephenson Harwood promotes three new partners to strengthen shipping team (TradeWinds)
Jones Walker Expands Its Nationally Recognized Maritime Practice with the Addition of a Partnerand an Associate in Houston (Jones Walker)
Can Injured Merchant Mariners Sue for Damages After a War-Related Attack? (Preston Easley)
SALEFORM 2025: a more realistic foundation for today’s S&P deals (Watson Farley & Williams)
SPC Issues Judicial Interpretation on Temporal Effect of Maritime Code (Haitong)