---
title: "Maritime, Shipping & Transport"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport"
type: "practice_area"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A37"
task_count: 25
last_reviewed: "2026-10-10"
---

# Maritime, Shipping & Transport

> Identify the vessel, voyage, contract and applicable legal regime before analysing a claim. Verify source documents, time bars, regulatory status and calculations rather than relying on a generic shipping-law summary.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-10

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

Also covers: Admiralty law; shipping law; carriage of goods by sea; marine transport; port law; seafarer law; cabotage; multimodal freight

## Key facts

- Tasks: 25
- Green: 4, Yellow: 17, Red: 4
- Levels: Green is AI drafts and the lawyer checks; Yellow is lawyer and AI draft together; Red is the lawyer writes and AI may only check, clarify or collect data.

## Principles

- **Define the matter**: Confirm the client’s instructions, jurisdiction, intended output and the information available before dividing the work.
- **Verify the authorities**: Open each relied-on authority independently. Confirm its existence, current status, proposition and any quotation or pinpoint reference.
- **Reconcile the figures**: Trace every relied-on figure to its source, confirm dates and assumptions, and independently recalculate totals or derived amounts.

## Checklist

- Open each relied-on authority independently. Confirm its existence, current status, proposition and any quotation or pinpoint reference.
- Trace every relied-on figure to its source, confirm dates and assumptions, and independently recalculate totals or derived amounts.
- Calculate operative dates independently from the current rule and actual triggering event. Check exceptions and record the verified deadline.
- Check the current court or regulator requirements, prescribed form and attachments for the intended document and filing.
- Review operative clauses in the complete document, including definitions, cross-references, schedules and inconsistencies with the instructions.
- Confirm that the wording reflects the client’s instructions and contains no unintended admission, concession or commitment. Check the recipient and tone.
- Confirm instructions and personal circumstances through appropriate direct engagement. Have the responsible lawyer assess safety, capacity or vulnerability concerns and escalation.
- Verify the applicable jurisdiction and the version of each relevant law, rule or instrument in force at the material time.
- Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.

## Restrictions

- Confirm firm, client and applicable court or professional restrictions before using any AI feature.

## Jurisdiction note

Apply this guidance to the actual matter and jurisdiction. Confirm current requirements before relying on an example.

## Basis

Practice guidance supports planning; the responsible lawyer confirms the scope, evidence and review requirements for the matter.

Also covers: Admiralty law; shipping law; carriage of goods by sea; marine transport; port law; seafarer law; cabotage; multimodal freight

Australian maritime law is a high-stakes, jurisdiction-specific practice anchored in the Admiralty Act 1988 (Cth), Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1991 (Cth) (COGSA), Navigation Act 2012 (Cth), and Marine Insurance Act 1909 (Cth), with exclusive Federal Court jurisdiction and tight non-extendable time bars. The core AI risk profile is severe: critical dates (particularly the COGSA one-year time bar and arrest deadlines) are jurisdiction- and fact-specific; the governing version of the Hague-Visby rules is Australia's Modified Rules, not the international text; AI trained before mid-2025 will give structurally confident but wrong advice on wreck removal limitation following CSL Australia v Tasmanian Ports Corp [2026] HCA 15; and the Federal Court's GPN-AI (April 2026) imposes disclosure and verification obligations on every practitioner filing submissions in the Admiralty NPA.

## Limits on AI assistance

Red lines — never in this area

## Limits on AI assistance

AI must not calculate or advise on limitation periods (time bars) in maritime claims without immediate, independent lawyer verification against primary sources (COGSA Schedule 1A text, Federal Court filings, actual delivery date) — a missed COGSA time bar causes permanent, irrecoverable loss of the client's claim. AI must not advise that any wreck removal claim is subject to limitation under the Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims Act 1989 (Cth) without explicit reference to CSL Australia v Tasmanian Ports Corp [2026] HCA 15 — pre-2026 AI output on this point is wrong as a matter of settled Australian law. AI must not draft, finalise, or verify affidavits in support of ship arrest applications — these are sworn documents and factual errors about vessel identity, ownership, beneficial interest, or location could expose the practitioner to contempt and the client to wrongful arrest liability. AI must not be used to generate time-critical procedural documents (in rem writs, arrest warrants, caveat applications) for filing without complete independent lawyer drafting review — the documents engage Federal Court rules and Admiralty Act statutory requirements that AI routinely mis-states. AI must not be used as the sole source for current SDR/AUD exchange rates, current MLC minimum wage rates, or current MARPOL or Protection of the Sea Act penalty amounts — these are real-time or biennially updated figures that AI cannot reliably supply. AI must not cite foreign maritime case law (English, US, Singapore) as Australian authority without the lawyer independently verifying its status — the Federal Court draws on international admiralty cases selectively and AI conflates persuasive with binding. AI must not advise on Coastal Trading Act 2012 licensing obligations from training data alone — the Act was amended October 2024 and a structural review was expected to report mid-2025; the current Act text must be consulted. AI must not be used to assess wreck removal or salvage liabilities without the supervising lawyer applying the HCA 15 analysis — the quantum at stake is uncapped and the legal position post-HCA 15 is directly counter to the position AI models will have been trained on.

- AI must not calculate or advise on limitation periods (time bars) in maritime claims without immediate, independent lawyer verification against primary sources (COGSA Schedule 1A text, Federal Court filings, actual delivery date) — a missed COGSA time bar causes permanent, irrecoverable loss of the client's claim.
- AI must not advise that any wreck removal claim is subject to limitation under the Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims Act 1989 (Cth) without explicit reference to CSL Australia v Tasmanian Ports Corp [2026] HCA 15 — pre-2026 AI output on this point is wrong as a matter of settled Australian law.
- AI must not draft, finalise, or verify affidavits in support of ship arrest applications — these are sworn documents and factual errors about vessel identity, ownership, beneficial interest, or location could expose the practitioner to contempt and the client to wrongful arrest liability.
- AI must not be used to generate time-critical procedural documents (in rem writs, arrest warrants, caveat applications) for filing without complete independent lawyer drafting review — the documents engage Federal Court rules and Admiralty Act statutory requirements that AI routinely mis-states.
- AI must not be used as the sole source for current SDR/AUD exchange rates, current MLC minimum wage rates, or current MARPOL or Protection of the Sea Act penalty amounts — these are real-time or biennially updated figures that AI cannot reliably supply.
- AI must not cite foreign maritime case law (English, US, Singapore) as Australian authority without the lawyer independently verifying its status — the Federal Court draws on international admiralty cases selectively and AI conflates persuasive with binding.
- AI must not advise on Coastal Trading Act 2012 licensing obligations from training data alone — the Act was amended October 2024 and a structural review was expected to report mid-2025; the current Act text must be consulted.
- AI must not be used to assess wreck removal or salvage liabilities without the supervising lawyer applying the HCA 15 analysis — the quantum at stake is uncapped and the legal position post-HCA 15 is directly counter to the position AI models will have been trained on.

## Jurisdiction-specific considerations

Australian traps

## Jurisdiction-specific considerations

COGSA Schedule 1A contains Australia's Modified Rules (a variant of Hague-Visby), NOT the international Hague-Visby Rules — AI almost universally defaults to the international text; this affects the package limitation, nautical fault defence, fire exception, time bar, and the scope of Art III r 8. The one-year time bar under COGSA Schedule 1A Art III r 6 is a condition precedent to suit, not merely a limitation period — it is not extendable by courts in any circumstance; a missed time bar is terminal and constitutes professional negligence. Carmichael Rail Network Pty Ltd v BBC Chartering Carriers GmbH & Co KG [2024] HCA 4 (14 February 2024): a foreign arbitration clause in a bill of lading survives COGSA Art III r 8 unless the cargo interest proves on the balance of probabilities that it lessens carrier liability; AI trained before February 2024 will give contrary advice. CSL Australia Pty Ltd v Tasmanian Ports Corp Pty Ltd [2026] HCA 15 (13 May 2026), confirming [2025] FCAFC 53 (The Goliath): wreck removal claims are NOT subject to limitation of liability under the 1976 Convention in Australia because of Australia's reservation under Art 18 — even where the wreck removal claim could also be characterised as a property damage claim; P&I clubs face uncapped exposure; AI trained before mid-2025 will advise the opposite. The Federal Court of Australia issued GPN-AI (General Practice Note on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence) on 16 April 2026: practitioners must disclose AI use in filed documents, must independently verify every cited authority, and must be able to explain how AI was used; the Admiralty and Maritime NPA is squarely within the Federal Court's jurisdiction; ASCR r 19 (duty of candour to courts) applies; see Handa v Mallick [2024] FedCFamC2F 957 for the disciplinary consequence of tendering AI-hallucinated authorities (two-year supervised practice order). The Marine Insurance Act 1909 (Cth) governs marine insurance in Australia — the UK Insurance Act 2015 reforms (warranties, duty of fair presentation, good faith) have NOT been enacted in Australia; the duty of utmost good faith under MIA 1909 s 24 applies in its pre-2015 form. The Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992 (Cth) (Seacare) is a separate federal scheme applicable to seafarers on prescribed vessels — it does not apply to all maritime workers; state workers compensation schemes apply to domestic commercial vessel crew on intra-state voyages; AI routinely misclassifies coverage. AMSA has dual regulatory streams: Navigation Act 2012 (Cth) for regulated Australian vessels and foreign vessels; Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law for DCVs — AI frequently conflates these, producing advice under the wrong statute and wrong penalty regime. Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012 was amended by Act No. 39 of 2024 (in force 14 October 2024) and was subject to an independent review (Briggs/Gaskell co-chairs, final report expected mid-2025) — AI output on cabotage licensing obligations may be materially out of date. The MARPOL Annex V garbage record book threshold was lowered from 400 GT to 100 GT for Australian vessels on overseas voyages from 1 May 2024 — AI trained before mid-2024 will not reflect this requirement; AMSA indicated domestic legislation updates to extend the requirement to domestic commercial vessels were also forthcoming.

- COGSA Schedule 1A contains Australia's Modified Rules (a variant of Hague-Visby), NOT the international Hague-Visby Rules — AI almost universally defaults to the international text; this affects the package limitation, nautical fault defence, fire exception, time bar, and the scope of Art III r 8.
- The one-year time bar under COGSA Schedule 1A Art III r 6 is a condition precedent to suit, not merely a limitation period — it is not extendable by courts in any circumstance; a missed time bar is terminal and constitutes professional negligence.
- Carmichael Rail Network Pty Ltd v BBC Chartering Carriers GmbH & Co KG [2024] HCA 4 (14 February 2024): a foreign arbitration clause in a bill of lading survives COGSA Art III r 8 unless the cargo interest proves on the balance of probabilities that it lessens carrier liability; AI trained before February 2024 will give contrary advice.
- CSL Australia Pty Ltd v Tasmanian Ports Corp Pty Ltd [2026] HCA 15 (13 May 2026), confirming [2025] FCAFC 53 (The Goliath): wreck removal claims are NOT subject to limitation of liability under the 1976 Convention in Australia because of Australia's reservation under Art 18 — even where the wreck removal claim could also be characterised as a property damage claim; P&I clubs face uncapped exposure; AI trained before mid-2025 will advise the opposite.
- The Federal Court of Australia issued GPN-AI (General Practice Note on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence) on 16 April 2026: practitioners must disclose AI use in filed documents, must independently verify every cited authority, and must be able to explain how AI was used; the Admiralty and Maritime NPA is squarely within the Federal Court's jurisdiction; ASCR r 19 (duty of candour to courts) applies; see Handa v Mallick [2024] FedCFamC2F 957 for the disciplinary consequence of tendering AI-hallucinated authorities (two-year supervised practice order).
- The Marine Insurance Act 1909 (Cth) governs marine insurance in Australia — the UK Insurance Act 2015 reforms (warranties, duty of fair presentation, good faith) have NOT been enacted in Australia; the duty of utmost good faith under MIA 1909 s 24 applies in its pre-2015 form.
- The Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992 (Cth) (Seacare) is a separate federal scheme applicable to seafarers on prescribed vessels — it does not apply to all maritime workers; state workers compensation schemes apply to domestic commercial vessel crew on intra-state voyages; AI routinely misclassifies coverage.
- AMSA has dual regulatory streams: Navigation Act 2012 (Cth) for regulated Australian vessels and foreign vessels; Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law for DCVs — AI frequently conflates these, producing advice under the wrong statute and wrong penalty regime.
- Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian Shipping) Act 2012 was amended by Act No. 39 of 2024 (in force 14 October 2024) and was subject to an independent review (Briggs/Gaskell co-chairs, final report expected mid-2025) — AI output on cabotage licensing obligations may be materially out of date.
- The MARPOL Annex V garbage record book threshold was lowered from 400 GT to 100 GT for Australian vessels on overseas voyages from 1 May 2024 — AI trained before mid-2024 will not reflect this requirement; AMSA indicated domestic legislation updates to extend the requirement to domestic commercial vessels were also forthcoming.

## Risks to address

How it goes wrong

## Risks to address

AI applies the international Hague-Visby Rules text to Australian cargo claims instead of Australia's Modified Rules in COGSA Schedule 1A, producing wrong advice on carrier defences (especially the nautical fault defence and fire exception), package limitations, and the time bar. AI advises that wreck removal claims are subject to limitation of liability under the 1976 Convention — which was the correct position before The Goliath — without flagging that [2026] HCA 15 (13 May 2026) unanimously confirmed they are NOT limitable in Australia. Any AI trained before mid-2025 will confidently give wrong advice on this point. AI misidentifies the governing statute (Navigation Act 2012 vs. Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law) for a particular vessel type and trade, producing advice under the wrong regulatory framework and wrong penalty regime. AI fabricates Federal Court admiralty case citations or cites English, US, or Singapore admiralty cases as binding Australian authority — particularly acute given the Federal Court's Admiralty NPA draws on UK, Singapore and South African case law selectively; AI conflates persuasive with binding authority. AI generates a time bar calculation using the wrong delivery date, or applies the one-year COGSA time bar to a charterparty claim (to which it does not apply), resulting in a missed non-extendable limitation period with no prospect of recovery. AI produces MARPOL garbage record book requirements that pre-date the 1 May 2024 amendment requiring garbage record books for vessels of 100 GT and above (not 400 GT) on overseas voyages, or fails to flag that domestic legislation updates were pending.

- AI applies the international Hague-Visby Rules text to Australian cargo claims instead of Australia's Modified Rules in COGSA Schedule 1A, producing wrong advice on carrier defences (especially the nautical fault defence and fire exception), package limitations, and the time bar.
- AI advises that wreck removal claims are subject to limitation of liability under the 1976 Convention — which was the correct position before The Goliath — without flagging that [2026] HCA 15 (13 May 2026) unanimously confirmed they are NOT limitable in Australia. Any AI trained before mid-2025 will confidently give wrong advice on this point.
- AI misidentifies the governing statute (Navigation Act 2012 vs. Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law) for a particular vessel type and trade, producing advice under the wrong regulatory framework and wrong penalty regime.
- AI fabricates Federal Court admiralty case citations or cites English, US, or Singapore admiralty cases as binding Australian authority — particularly acute given the Federal Court's Admiralty NPA draws on UK, Singapore and South African case law selectively; AI conflates persuasive with binding authority.
- AI generates a time bar calculation using the wrong delivery date, or applies the one-year COGSA time bar to a charterparty claim (to which it does not apply), resulting in a missed non-extendable limitation period with no prospect of recovery.
- AI produces MARPOL garbage record book requirements that pre-date the 1 May 2024 amendment requiring garbage record books for vessels of 100 GT and above (not 400 GT) on overseas voyages, or fails to flag that domestic legislation updates were pending.

## Review checklist

The lawyer's review checklist

## Review checklist

Verify every statute cited is the correct Australian Act (not UK, US, or international convention text) and that the section number is accurate — pay particular attention to COGSA Schedule 1A Modified Rules vs. international Hague-Visby Rules, and the Navigation Act 2012 vs. DCV National Law distinction. Independently confirm all time bars and limitation periods from primary sources: COGSA one-year condition precedent (Schedule 1A Art III r 6), Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims Act 1989 (Cth), Admiralty Act 1988 time limits — cross-check actual delivery date, voyage leg, and cause of action type against the correct statutory text. Check all cited cases against AustLII or the Federal Court's online case list — confirm citation, catchwords, and that the proposition for which the case is cited accurately reflects the ratio; verify whether the case is binding or merely persuasive in Australian admiralty law; for any post-2024 case (Carmichael Rail, The Goliath FCAFC and HCA), verify the correct citation and level of decision. For any wreck removal or limitation fund scenario: apply CSL Australia v Tasmanian Ports Corp [2026] HCA 15 before advising on whether liability can be limited — confirm whether Australia's reservation under Art 18 of the 1976 Convention is engaged for the specific claim type; do not advise that a limitation fund caps wreck removal costs. For any limitation fund quantum, verify the current SDR/AUD rate from the Reserve Bank of Australia and confirm gross tonnage from the vessel's official certificate — do not use AI-supplied figures for either. Confirm the applicable regulatory stream (Navigation Act 2012 vs. DCV National Law) by reference to the vessel's registration, flag, and trade route before giving any safety, crewing, survey, or PSC advice. Before filing any document in the Federal Court's Admiralty NPA, confirm compliance with GPN-AI (April 2026): every authority cited must exist, be retrievable, and genuinely support the proposition for which it is cited; disclose any AI use in the document; practitioner certification of authorities is required. For P&I club correspondence or coverage advice: verify the specific club's current year rule book — club rules are updated annually and AI will hold a stale version; pay particular attention to 'pay to be paid' clauses, autonomous vessel exclusions, and the uncapped wreck removal exposure confirmed by HCA 15.

- Verify every statute cited is the correct Australian Act (not UK, US, or international convention text) and that the section number is accurate — pay particular attention to COGSA Schedule 1A Modified Rules vs. international Hague-Visby Rules, and the Navigation Act 2012 vs. DCV National Law distinction.
- Independently confirm all time bars and limitation periods from primary sources: COGSA one-year condition precedent (Schedule 1A Art III r 6), Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims Act 1989 (Cth), Admiralty Act 1988 time limits — cross-check actual delivery date, voyage leg, and cause of action type against the correct statutory text.
- Check all cited cases against AustLII or the Federal Court's online case list — confirm citation, catchwords, and that the proposition for which the case is cited accurately reflects the ratio; verify whether the case is binding or merely persuasive in Australian admiralty law; for any post-2024 case (Carmichael Rail, The Goliath FCAFC and HCA), verify the correct citation and level of decision.
- For any wreck removal or limitation fund scenario: apply CSL Australia v Tasmanian Ports Corp [2026] HCA 15 before advising on whether liability can be limited — confirm whether Australia's reservation under Art 18 of the 1976 Convention is engaged for the specific claim type; do not advise that a limitation fund caps wreck removal costs.
- For any limitation fund quantum, verify the current SDR/AUD rate from the Reserve Bank of Australia and confirm gross tonnage from the vessel's official certificate — do not use AI-supplied figures for either.
- Confirm the applicable regulatory stream (Navigation Act 2012 vs. DCV National Law) by reference to the vessel's registration, flag, and trade route before giving any safety, crewing, survey, or PSC advice.
- Before filing any document in the Federal Court's Admiralty NPA, confirm compliance with GPN-AI (April 2026): every authority cited must exist, be retrievable, and genuinely support the proposition for which it is cited; disclose any AI use in the document; practitioner certification of authorities is required.
- For P&I club correspondence or coverage advice: verify the specific club's current year rule book — club rules are updated annually and AI will hold a stale version; pay particular attention to 'pay to be paid' clauses, autonomous vessel exclusions, and the uncapped wreck removal exposure confirmed by HCA 15.

## Tasks (25)

| Task | Level | How AI is used | What the lawyer must review |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Build a cargo-claim time-bar and notice table](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/build-a-cargo-claim-time-bar-and-notice-table.md) | Red | From the contract, bill and correspondence, list notice and suit clocks, candidate applicable rules and missing documents. | Confirm the regime that actually applies to the carriage Check if a one-year cargo clock is a condition precedent, not an ordinary limitation period |
| Compare a charterparty to the standard form | Yellow | Compare the working copy to the named standard form, list deviations, internal conflicts and rider-clause clashes. | Check whether carriage-of-goods rules apply: they often do not apply to charterparties Do not import bill-of-lading protections into a charter |
| [Extract bill-of-lading or sea-waybill terms into a table](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/extract-bill-of-lading-or-sea-waybill-terms-into-a-table.md) | Yellow | From the scanned or electronic bill, list parties, ports, cargo, clauses paramount, Himalaya, law and arbitration, and whether the bill is straight, order or… | Check endorsements on the original, not a summary Confirm the instrument type, which decides transferability and rights of suit |
| [Draft in-rem arrest papers from the claim and the ship particulars](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/draft-in-rem-arrest-papers-from-the-claim-and-the-ship-particulars.md) | Red | The tool writes nothing into any of the papers — not the Form 6 writ, the Form 12 application, the Form 13 supporting affidavit or a Form 4 caveat against… | Arrest is time-critical and the lawyer drafts the papers. Confirm the claim is a maritime claim the court can hear and the ship is the right ship, and that… |
| [Build a limitation-fund calculation worksheet](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/build-a-limitation-fund-calculation-worksheet.md) | Red | From the ship's tonnage certificate and registry particulars, work the tiered tonnage arithmetic on the convention text, protocol amendments and SDR… | The lawyer checks that the tonnage used is the gross tonnage on the tonnage certificate and not net or deadweight tonnage, that the statutory floor for small… |
| [Map MARPOL and pollution-record duties for the ship](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/map-marpol-and-pollution-record-duties-for-the-ship.md) | Yellow | From the ship type and trade, list applicable Annexes, record books and management-plan duties against the papers on the file. | Confirm the current domestic implementing statute Check any recent size or voyage thresholds |
| [Draft a port-state detention response and rectification plan](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/draft-a-port-state-detention-response-and-rectification-plan.md) | Yellow | From the deficiency notice, produce a rectification-action plan mapped to the cited instruments, with a list of items that do not match the notice. | Open the SOLAS, ISM or other rule actually cited Check rule numbers: wrong numbers are common |
| [Build a seafarer-employment and compensation issues table](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/build-a-seafarer-employment-and-compensation-issues-table.md) | Yellow | From the crew contract, hours records and injury papers, list MLC, wages and compensation-scheme facts against the regime the lawyer has named. | Confirm coverage before you advise Do not mix federal seafarer schemes with state workers compensation |
| [Extract hull, cargo or P&I cover into a claims table](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/extract-hull-cargo-or-p-and-i-cover-into-a-claims-table.md) | Yellow | From the policy and club correspondence, list cover, exclusions, notice clocks and security-for-release facts. | Check the marine insurance statute that applies Do not assume the UK Insurance Act reforms apply |
| Map survey and exemption issues for an uncrewed or remotely operated vessel | Yellow | From the vessel description, list construction, survey and crewing rules the lawyer has named and the exemptions already held or still needed. | Confirm the maritime authority's current published policy: this framework is moving |
| Map liability regimes across a multimodal movement | Yellow | From the through-transport contract, list sea, road and rail legs with the candidate liability regime and where the sea rules stop. | Decide network or uniform liability as a contract question Do not assume the bill covers inland legs |
| [Draft or review a maritime arbitration clause](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/draft-or-review-a-maritime-arbitration-clause.md) | Yellow | Produce a first-draft London, Singapore or local arbitration clause from the playbook, and compare it with the bill or charter on the file. | Confirm the current position on bill clauses and carriage statutes Check whether the clause survives a statutory attempt to send the dispute to a local court |
| [Map cabotage or coastal-trading licence duties for a voyage](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/map-cabotage-or-coastal-trading-licence-duties-for-a-voyage.md) | Yellow | From the voyage and ship papers, list licence class, exemption and reporting duties against the coastal-trading rules the lawyer has named. | Confirm the current licence type before the ship sails Check for changes: cabotage statutes change |
| [Build a wreck-removal and salvage obligations table](https://ailawframework.com/practice/maritime-shipping-and-transport/build-a-wreck-removal-and-salvage-obligations-table.md) | Red | From the casualty papers, list notification, direction and salvage-contract facts against the navigation and wreck rules the lawyer has named. | Confirm whether wreck-removal costs sit inside limitation under current law Do this before you advise the owner or the port |
| Draft a claim-reservation or letter of protest from the survey and the bill | Yellow | Produce a first-draft reservation of rights or protest from the survey report, the bill and the notice clock. | Check the contract and the current carriage rules Confirm notice wording and timing: either can lose the claim |
| Build a general-average and security worksheet from the casualty papers | Yellow | Extract the average-adjustment correspondence, cargo interests and security demands into a worksheet with missing bonds flagged. | Confirm the contract and the status of the adjustment Do not admit average from a generated worksheet |
| Extract a lien, cesser and law-and-arbitration suite from the charter | Green | Pull lien, cesser, off-hire, law and arbitration clauses into a table with clause references. | Check definitions that change the reach of these clauses Remember they decide security and forum |
| Extract charterparty key terms into a table | Green | Pull laytime, demurrage and off-hire terms. | Verify against the charter. |
| Build a laytime calculation draft from statements of facts | Yellow | Calculate laytime from the SOF. | Check calculation. |
| Summarise P&I club rules relevant to a claim | Yellow | Summarise relevant rules. | Lawyer checks the current rules. |
| Index a vessel-arrest file | Green | Index documents and deadlines. | Verify deadlines against Admiralty Rules. |
| Draft a cargo claim notice | Yellow | Draft notice from the facts. | Lawyer settles. |
| Use an AI research tool for maritime case law | Yellow | Run research. | Lawyer verifies. |
| Summarise bills of lading terms | Green | Extract. | Verify. |
| Draft a demurrage claim | Yellow | Draft. | Lawyer settles. |

## Jurisdiction notes

### Australia

#### Key statutes

Admiralty Act 1988, Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1991 (COGSA), Navigation Act 2012 and Marine Insurance Act 1909, all Cth. The Federal Court and Supreme Courts have in rem jurisdiction (Admiralty Act s 10).

#### Time bars

Time bars are tight and cannot be extended. The COGSA one-year bar and arrest deadlines turn on the jurisdiction and the facts.

#### Hague-Visby

Australia applies its Modified Hague-Visby Rules, not the international text.

#### Wreck removal

Wreck removal claims are not limitable after CSL Australia v Tasmanian Ports Corp [2026] HCA 15. Older advice says the opposite.

#### Court AI rules

The Federal Court's GPN-AI (April 2026) sets disclosure and verification duties for every filing in the Admiralty NPA.

### New Zealand

Local name: Maritime (Maritime Transport Act 1994 / Maritime NZ)

#### Governing Act

Maritime Transport Act 1994. The Ministry of Transport administers it; the Director of Maritime NZ enforces it. Covers safety, licensing, pollution, salvage and limitation of liability.

#### Rules

Maritime and marine protection rules are made by the Minister of Transport. Maritime NZ says non-compliance may be an offence. Not the Protection of the Sea Act.

#### Cargo claims

Section 209 gives the Amended Hague Rules in Schedule 5 the force of law. Not Australian COGSA. The Carriage of Goods Act 1979 was repealed on 1 September 2017.

#### Related Acts

Maritime Security Act 2004 and Ship Registration Act 1992. Maritime NZ administers the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 for work on board ships.

- Do not file a generated citation, quote or statutory reference until you have opened it in legislation.govt.nz or a trusted case database.
- Do not enter private, confidential, suppressed or privileged material into a public chatbot.

Sources:

- [Maritime Transport Act 1994](https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1994/104/en/latest/) (checked 2026-09-23)
- [Maritime NZ: legislation we administer](https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/about-us/our-strategy-and-performance/legislation-we-administer/) (checked 2026-09-23)
- [Maritime NZ: overview of maritime and marine protection rules](https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/about-us/rules/overview-of-maritime-and-marine-protection-rules/) (checked 2026-09-23)
- [Carriage of Goods Act 1979 (repealed 1 September 2017)](https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1979/43/en/latest/) (checked 2026-09-23)
- [Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017](https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2017/5/en/latest/) (checked 2026-09-23)
- [Courts of New Zealand: GenAI guidelines — Lawyers (7 December 2023)](https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/assets/6-Going-to-Court/practice-directions/practice-guidelines/all-benches/20231207-GenAI-Guidelines-Lawyers.pdf) (checked 2026-09-23)

### United States

Local name: Maritime, shipping and transport

#### Governing law

Admiralty is federal. Surface and air transport add DOT, FMCSA, FAA and state overlays.

#### Filings

Formal Opinion 512 and Rule 11 govern generated authorities in federal court.

Sources:

- [ABA Formal Opinion 512, Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools (29 July 2024)](https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/ethics-opinions/aba-formal-opinion-512.pdf) (checked 2026-09-23)
- [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11](https://www.law.cornell.edu/rules/frcp/rule_11) (checked 2026-09-23)
- [28 U.S.C. § 1333: admiralty, maritime and prize cases](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1333) (checked 2026-09-23)
- [49 U.S.C. Subtitle I: Department of Transportation](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/subtitle-I) (checked 2026-09-23)
- [FMCSA: Regulations](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations) (checked 2026-09-23)
- [FAA: Regulations and policies](https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies) (checked 2026-09-23)

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*