688.—(1) Whenever any injury has in any part of the world been caused to any property belonging to Her Majesty or to any of Her Majesty’s subjects by any foreign ship, and at any time thereafter that ship is found in any port or river of the United Kingdom or within three miles of the coast thereof, a judge of any court of record in the United Kingdom (and in Scotland the Court of Session and also the sheriff of the county within whose jurisdiction the ship may be) may, upon its being shown to him by any person applying summarily that the injury was probably caused by the misconduct or want of skill of the master or mariners of the ship, issue an order directed to any officer of customs or other officer named by the judge, court, or sheriff, requiring him to detain the ship until such time as the owner, master, or consignee thereof has made satisfaction in respect of the injury, or has given security, to be approved by the judge, court, or sheriff, to abide the event of any action, suit, or other legal proceeding that may be instituted in respect of the injury, and to pay all costs and damages that may be awarded thereon; and any officer of customs or other officer to whom the order is directed shall detain the ship accordingly.

(2) Where it appears that, before an application can be made under this section, the ship in respect of which the application is to be made will have departed from the limits of the United Kingdom or three miles from the coast thereof, the ship may be detained for such time as will allow the application to be made, and the result thereof to be communicated to the officer detaining the ship, and that officer shall not be liable for any costs or damages in respect of the detention unless the same is proved to have been made without reasonable grounds.

(3) In any legal proceeding in relation to any such injury aforesaid, the person giving security shall be made defendant or defender, and shall be stated to be the owner of the ship that has occasioned the damage; and the production of the order of the judge, court, or sheriff made in relation to the security shall be conclusive evidence oí the liability of the defendant or defender to the proceeding.