Contents

Part I--Preliminary                                                                                                                 1

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ....................................................................... 1

2............ Commencement [see Note 1] .............................................................. 1

3............ Interpretation ...................................................................................... 1

4............ Maritime claims .................................................................................. 4

5............ Application ......................................................................................... 6

6............ Certain rights not created or affected .................................................. 7

7............ External Territories ............................................................................. 7

8............ Act to bind Crown .............................................................................. 7

Part II--Jurisdiction in Admiralty                                                                                  9

9............ Admiralty jurisdiction in personam ................................................... 9

10.......... Jurisdiction of superior courts in respect of Admiralty actions in rem .. 9

11.......... Jurisdiction of other courts in respect of Admiralty actions in rem .. 9

12.......... Jurisdiction in associated matters ..................................................... 10

13.......... Restriction to Admiralty and maritime jurisdiction .......................... 10

Part III--Rights to proceed in Admiralty                                                                 11

14.......... Admiralty actions in rem to be commenced under this Act ............. 11

15.......... Right to proceed in rem on maritime liens etc. ................................. 11

16.......... Right to proceed in rem on proprietary maritime claims ................. 11

17.......... Right to proceed in rem on owner's liabilities .................................. 11

18.......... Right to proceed in rem on demise charterer's liabilities .................. 12

19.......... Right to proceed in rem against surrogate ship ................................ 12

20.......... Service on and arrest of only one ship .............................................. 12

21.......... Re‑arrest ........................................................................................... 13

22.......... Service and arrest out of jurisdiction ................................................ 13

23.......... Service and Execution of Process Act not to apply ......................... 14

24.......... Proceeds ............................................................................................ 14

25.......... Limitation of liability under Liability Conventions .......................... 15

26.......... Proceedings under Civil Liability Convention .................................. 15

26A....... Proceedings in accordance with the Bunker Oil Convention ............ 15

Part IV--Transfer and remittal of proceedings                                                    17

27.......... Transfer ............................................................................................ 17

28.......... Remittal ............................................................................................ 17

29.......... Security in relation to stayed or dismissed proceedings ................... 19

30.......... Power to deal with ship or other property ...................................... 20

Part V--Miscellaneous                                                                                                       21

31.......... Effect of judgment ............................................................................ 21

32.......... Powers of Federal Court in relation to register ................................. 21

33.......... Co‑ownership disputes .................................................................... 21

34.......... Damages for unjustified arrest etc. ................................................... 22

35.......... Priorities: general maritime claims .................................................... 22

36.......... Statutory powers of detention ......................................................... 23

37.......... Limitation periods ............................................................................ 23

38.......... Mode of trial ..................................................................................... 24

39.......... Jurisdictional limits ........................................................................... 24

40.......... Courts to act in aid of each other ...................................................... 25

41.......... Rules ................................................................................................. 25

42.......... Rules Committee .............................................................................. 26

43.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 26

Part VI--Repeals and amendments of Imperial legislation                          27

44.......... Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act .................................................... 27

45.......... Repeal of certain Imperial laws ........................................................ 27

46.......... Merchant Shipping Act .................................................................... 27

47.......... Transitional ....................................................................................... 28

Part VII--Validation of certain provisions of the Navigation Act 1912 29

48.......... Validation .......................................................................................... 29

Part VIII--Amendments of the Navigation Act 1912                                       30

Sections 49-57 ................................................................................................. 30

Part IX--Amendment of the Shipping Registration Act 1981                      31

Sections 58, 59 ................................................................................................. 31

Notes                                                                                                                                             33

An Act relating to Admiralty and maritime jurisdiction

  

Notes to the Admiralty Act 1988

Note 1

The Admiralty Act 1988 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 34, 1988 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

For all relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Admiralty Act 1988	34, 1988	22 May 1988	1 Jan 1989 (see Gazette 1988, No. S359)
Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims Act 1989	151, 1989	30 Nov 1989	30 May 1991	--
Service and Execution of Process (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 1992	166, 1992	11 Dec 1992	10 Apr 1993 (see s. 2 and Gazette 1993, No. GN13)	--
Maritime Legislation Amendment Act 1994	20, 1994	15 Feb 1994	1 Aug 1994 (see Gazette 1994, No. S289)	--
International Maritime Conventions Legislation Amendment Act 2001	149, 2001	1 Oct 2001	Schedule 1 (item 1): 13 May 2004 ( see Gazette 2004, No. S157)	--
Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2004	62, 2004	26 May 2004	Schedule 1 (item 5): 27 May 2004	--
Jurisdiction of the Federal Magistrates Court Legislation Amendment Act 2006	23, 2006	6 Apr 2006	Schedule 3: 4 May 2006	Sch. 3 (items 2, 6, 8)
Statute Law Revision Act 2008	73, 2008	3 July 2008	Schedule 1 (item 3): Royal Assent	--
Protection of the Sea (Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage) (Consequential Amendments) Act 2008	77, 2008	12 July 2008	Schedule 1 (items 1-4): 16 June 2009 (see s. 2(1))	--

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended     rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Part I
S. 3......................................	am. No. 151, 1989; No. 149, 2001; No. 62, 2004
S. 4......................................	am. No. 73, 2008; No. 77, 2009
Part II
S. 9......................................	am. No. 23, 2006
Part III
S. 22....................................	am. No. 20, 1994
S. 23....................................	am. No. 166, 1992
S. 26A.................................	ad. No. 77, 2009
Part IV
Ss. 27, 28............................	am. No. 23, 2006
Part V
S. 41....................................	am. No. 23, 2006

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Jurisdiction of the Federal Magistrates Court Legislation Amendment Act 2006
(No. 23, 2006)

Schedule 3

2  Application of amendment of section 9

The amendment of section 9 of the Admiralty Act 1988 made by this Schedule applies in relation to matters arising before, on or after the commencement of this Schedule.

6  Application of amendments of sections 27 and 28

The amendments of sections 27 and 28 of the Admiralty Act 1988 made by this Schedule apply in relation to proceedings started before, on or after the commencement of this Schedule.

8  Application of amendment of section 41

The amendment of section 41 of the Admiralty Act 1988 made by this Schedule applies in relation to matters arising before, on or after the commencement of this Schedule.