Maritime and Transport Law Committee – From the Editors – August 2025

Müge Anber-Kontakis
Gard (North America) Inc, New York 
muge.anber@gard.no

María Belén Espiñeira
IT&L Legal Consultants (MB Espiñeira & Abogados), Buenos Aires
mbe@itl-legalconsultants.com

Dear members,

We are delighted to present the latest issue of the IBA Maritime and Transport Law Committee e-bulletin for 2025, a collection shaped by the insight and dedication of our contributors from around the world.

This edition is devoted to a comprehensive overview of statutory limitations of liability for vessels and other transportation interests across jurisdictions. Reflecting the growing complexity and significance of limitation regimes in international commerce, we have gathered a wide array of articles exploring national approaches, recent legislative developments and landmark cases. Our contributors offer in-depth analysis from various legal landscapes, ensuring a rich comparative perspective for practitioners and scholars alike.

Among the pages of this issue, you will find thoughtful contributions from a diverse range of jurisdictions, including Canada, China, South Africa, Nigeria, Japan, Malaysia, Cyprus, India, Argentina, Brazil and the United Kingdom, examining the principles, practicalities and policy considerations underpinning statutory limitation of liability.

Whether addressing the limits enshrined for shipowners, freight forwarders or multimodal carriers, our authors chart the nuances and commonalities shaping maritime and transport law globally.

We have also included a brief report from our Co-Chairs, Patrick Michael Halloway and Marco Remiorz, and the always popular 'Meet the Officer' interview, this issue, by Vice-Chair of Land Transport Subcommittee, Anna Mestre.

Inspired by the questions raised in the past committee sessions, we continue our tradition of inviting discourse and debate on trends that transcend borders. This publication underscores the committee's commitment to sharing knowledge that supports both international uniformity and local adaptation.

We extend our sincere gratitude to all those who submitted articles for this focused edition, and to the many colleagues whose time and expertise sustain our committee's ongoing work. As always, we welcome submissions for future issues.

We hope you find this issue both informative and thought-provoking. We look forward to your continuing engagement and to the opportunity to meet in person this November in Toronto.

With best wishes from the editorial team,

Müge Anber-Kontakis and Maria Belen Espineira