Purpose, scope and persons concerned
- Difference from international law of the sea; the use of the concepts ‘Shipping Law’ and ‘Admiralty Law’
- Concept of ‘Ship’, including selected elements on property, registration and mortgages
- Context concerned from the standpoint of maritime practitioners (ship owners, charterers, ship agents, shippers, consignees, shipbrokers, etc.)
Developments in national jurisdictions
- English law/common law (basics, including the principle of judicial precedent; court hierarchy; statutory interpretation)
- Civil or continental law system: key features
- Other legal systems: the paradigm of the USA’s maritime law
Maritime law and the international standard setting process, notably including the role of the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
- IMO maritime conventions (the four pillars of international shipping legislation)
- The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) (Vienna, 1980)
Contract law: the basics (English law)
- The meaning of ‘contract’; offer, acceptance, and other elements of a legally binding contract
- Property and risk
- Defects and discharge
Additional basic legal concepts
- Tort
- Remedies
- Liability
Examples of contracts
- Ship building and repair contracts
- Ship sale and purchase contracts

Summary - 21 modules to choose from!