Transport and Maritime Digest.

Scope of application of the Hague-Visby Rules By: Evans Ago Tetteh, Ph.D. The Hague–Visby Rules is a set of international rules for the International carriage of goods by sea. It seeks to regulate all contracts entailing the issuance of a bill of lading or any similar document of title relating to the carriage of goods between ports in two different States and it provides for a very soft system of liability in favour of the carriers.   The rules apply to every bill of lading or any similar document of title relating to the carriage of goods between ports in two different States if: i) The bill of lading or document is issued in a contracting State; or ii) The carriage is from a port in a contracting State; or iii) The contract contained in or evidenced by the bill of lading provides that the Hague-Visby Rules or the legislation of any State giving effect to them (e.g. the UK’s Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1971) are to govern the contract. Under Article V, the R