SMITH

Bertrand Smith, attorney-at-law and director of legal affairs at the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, will be the main presenter in a course on 'Essential Legal Principles of Commercial Shipping', to be conducted at the Shipping Association of Jamaica's (SAJ) office complex from April 18-19.

This will be the first in a series of short courses presented by the SAJ in association with the Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) that will provide participants with credits towardhigher-level courses at the CMI.

The Course

The aim of the two-day course is to provide participants with a deeper understanding of international maritime law and key legal concepts involved in the transport of goods by sea. Sessions will cover 16 contact hours and will include:

Introduction to maritime law

International maritime conventions and their effect on Jamaican law

Bills of lading

The responsibilities and liabilities of key intermediaries in the transport of goods by sea

Legal issues in the provision of harbour services

Recent developments in United States maritime law affecting Jamaica

Ship arrest and detention in Jamaica.

The course should be of particular interest to lawyers, risk managers, shipping agents, customs brokers, freight forwarders, importers and exporters, customs officials, terminal operators, shipping clerks and all involved in international trade. Course dynamics and material include handouts, case studies, articles and interactive multimedia presentations.

The Presenter

Bertrand Smith, the course presenter, is an attorney-at-law with over 14 years' experience in the area of maritime and environmental law. Since 2001, he has been the director of legal affairs at the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, where he has been responsible for the development of shipping and admiralty legislation in Jamaica.

After graduating from the Norman Manley Law School at the University of the West Indies, Mr. Smith read for a postgraduate degree in maritime studies from the World Maritime University in Sweden. He is an adjunct lecturer in maritime law at the Caribbean Maritime Institute and has delivered papers on legal issues relating to shipping law, maritime security, ship source pollution prevention, bunkering and international trade issues at local and international conferences.

Since 2003, Mr. Smith has been the legal contributor to the Caribbean Shipping Journal in which he has written articles on the ISPS Code, dangerous goods and issues related to cruise shipping. Additionally, he has represented Jamaica at a number of legal conferences and is the country's delegate to the legal committee of the International Maritime Authority.

Registration

Limited spaces remain for course participants, so interested persons are encouraged to call the Shipping Association of Jamaica today at 923-3491-2 and ask for Sacha Vaccianna or Andrea Cameron for registration details.