Battling with waves and lawyers : $b a genuine history of perils of the deep and an authentic record of the most important shipping case ever dealt with in the supreme courts of Australasia
History
Battling with waves and lawyers : $b a genuine history of perils of the deep and an authentic record of the most important shipping case ever dealt with in the supreme courts of Australasia
Alert (Ship : 1877-1893); Liability for marine accidents; Navigation -- Australia -- History; Shipwrecks -- Australia -- Victoria
MR. MITCHELL directed His Honour’s attention to the fact that he had
said in his summing up that the certificates had nothing to do with
the loading, whereas, in giving the certificates, the surveyors did
so on the assumption that the vessel might go to sea without cargo.
If there was a condition as to cargo, it would be mentioned in the
certificate. Mr. Mitchell also contended that the defendants would
not be liable unless the captain loaded the vessel in a way that, in
his opinion, would make her unsea-worthy.
HIS HONOUR: These both seem to be good points, and I will bring them
before the jury to-morrow morning.
[Illustration: Decoration]
[Illustration: Decoration]
KILPATRICK V. HUDDART, PARKER & CO., LTD.
NINTH DAY, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1895.
HIS HONOUR, addressing the jury, said: Gentlemen, I told you
yesterday, with respect to the charge that is made against the owners
of the vessel, that you should disregard the certificate given when
considering whether the vessel was loaded in such a way as to render
her unsea-worthy. I don’t think I was quite right in saying that. I
had forgotten that Mr. McLean, engineer surveyor to the Marine Board,
told us that the certificate was for an unloaded ship. You cannot
disregard that certificate altogether. Still you must bear this in
mind, that though a vessel may, in the opinion of the Marine Board,
be sea-worthy, the captain, or mate, may load her in such a way as
to make her unsea-worthy. There is some evidence that the cargo put
in her was built so high in the hold as to make her less stable than
if it had been better stowed. I also told you that if the captain
loaded the vessel in such a way as to render her unsea-worthy, the
owners would be responsible. That is a little too bald. The owners
are entitled to some protection in this respect, that is, unless the
captain knew, or ought to have known, that the cargo was loaded in
such a manner as to render her unsea-worthy. If he trims the ship in
a way which he knows, or ought to know, will render the voyage risky
and perilous, then the owners would be responsible. Gentlemen of the
jury, you are to give your verdict for plaintiff, or defendants, but
not your reasons. You may cause endless trouble if you do.
The foreman of the jury asked whether there was any evidence as to
the ballast tanks being filled.
HIS HONOUR replied that the only shred of evidence on that point was
that one of the tanks was stowed away in the forepeak.
The jury retired at a quarter past 10 A. M., and at a quarter past 6
P. M. returned into court with a verdict for the plaintiff for £600,
allotting £500 to Mrs. Kilpatrick and £100 to the child.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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