The Merchant Shipping Act 1995 (c. 21) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in 1995. It consolidated much of the UK's maritime legislation, repealing several acts in their entirety and provisions in many more, some dating back to the mid-nineteenth century. It appoints several officers of Admiralty Jurisdiction such as the Receiver of Wreck. The act of 1995 updates the prior Merchant Shipping Act 1894 (57 & 58 Vict. c. 60). The lead part on British ships was impacted by the outcome of the Factortame case, as the Merchant Shipping Act 1988 was impugned by the Common Fisheries Policy.
Content of act The act comprises 316 sections divided into 13 Parts: Part I: British ships Part II: Registration Part III: Masters and Seamen Part IV: Safety Part V: Fishing Vessels Part VI: Prevention of Pollution Part VII: Liability of Shipowners and Others Part VIII: Lighthouses Part IX: Salvage and Wreck Part X: Enforcement Officers and Powers Part XI: Accident Investigations and Inquiries Part XII: Legal Proceeding Part XIII: Supplemental
Part II: Registration The act details British law on entitlement for Ship registration, including qualifications, pre-conditions and the machinery for registration.
Part VIII: Lighthouses Part VIII of the act provides the powers and duties of the general lighthouse authorities and local lighthouse authorities.
Part IX: Salvage and Wreck Receiver of Wreck is a post defined in Part IX of the act. It is an official of the British government whose main task is to process incoming reports of shipwrecks in order to give legitimate owners the opportunity to retrieve their property and ensure that law-abiding finders of wreck receive an appropriate reward.Maritime and Coastguard Agency - Role of the Receiver Of Wreck According to the act, a wreck includes jetsam, flotsam, lagan and derelict found on the seashore or in tidal waters.
Part XI: Accident Investigations and Inquiries Part XI of the act provides the powers and duties of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.
Part XIII: Supplemental Repealed enactments Section 314(1) of the act repealed 97 enactments, listed in schedule 12 to the act.