RN Associates provides end-to-end legal representation in shipping, marine insurance, and international trade disputes. Our lawyers regularly appear before the High Courts exercising admiralty jurisdiction and in foreign arbitral forums.
Key Legal Frameworks We Work With
Domestic Laws & Rules (Pakistan)
- Admiralty Jurisdiction of High Courts Ordinance, 1980 – vessel arrest, maritime liens, salvage claims.
- Merchant Shipping Ordinance, 2001 and Merchant Shipping (Registration) Rules, 2002 – vessel registration, safety, crewing.
- Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1925 – cargo claims, bills of lading disputes.
- Ports Act, 1908 & Pakistan National Shipping Corporation Ordinance, 1979 – port operations and national carrier issues.
- Marine Insurance Act, 1963 (adapted from the UK 1906 Act) – hull, cargo and P&I cover.
- Environmental Protection Act, 1997 – marine pollution and hazardous waste.
- Customs Act, 1969 – import/export regulations, detention of goods and vessels.
- Pakistan Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act, 1976 – EEZ rights and offshore matters.
- Inland Water Transport Development Board Act, 2016 – inland shipping compliance.
International Conventions & Standards
- United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982
- International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974
- International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), 1973/78
- International Convention on Salvage, 1989
- Hague-Visby Rules / Hamburg Rules (as incorporated through local law)
- Convention on the Arrest of Ships, 1999
- International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (CLC), 1992
- International Convention on Load Lines, 1966
- Convention on the Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC), 1976
Services
- Vessel arrests, cargo claims, and charter-party disputes.
- Ship finance, mortgages, and flag-state registration.
- Marine environmental compliance and oil-spill litigation.
- Arbitration and enforcement of foreign maritime awards under the Recognition & Enforcement (Arbitration Agreements and Foreign Arbitral Awards) Act, 2011.
