Merchant Shipping Act 1894

Power to court of investigation or inquiry as to certificate.

470

470.(1) The certificate of a master, mate, or engineer may be cancelled or suspended—

(a) by a court holding a formal investigation into a shipping casualty under this Part of this Act, or by a naval court constituted under this Act, if the court find that the loss or abandonment of, or serious damage to, any ship, or loss of life, has been caused by his wrongful act or default, provided that, if the court holding a formal investigation is a court of summary jurisdiction, that court shall not cancel or suspend a certificate unless one at least of the assessors concurs in the finding of the court:

(b) by a court holding an inquiry under this Part of this Act into the conduct of a master, mate, or engineer, if they find that he is incompetent, or has been guilty of any gross act of misconduct, drunkenness, or tyranny, or that in a case of collision he has failed to render such assistance or give such information as is required under the Fifth Part of this Act:

(c) by any naval or other court where under the powers given by this Part of this Act the holder of the certificate is superseded or removed by that court.

(2) Where any case before any such court as aforesaid involves a question as to the cancelling or suspending of a certificate, that court shall, at the conclusion of the case or as soon afterwards as possible, state in open court the decision to which they have come with respect to the cancelling or suspending thereof.

(3) The court shall in all cases send a full report on the case with the evidence to the Board of Trade, and shall also, if they determine to cancel or suspend any certificate, send the certificate cancelled or suspended to the Board of Trade with their report.

(4) A certificate shall not be cancelled or suspended by a court under this section, unless a copy of the report, or a statement of the case on which the investigation or inquiry has been ordered, has been furnished before the commencement of the investigation or inquiry to the holder of the certificate.

Annotations:

Modifications (not altering text):

C140

References to suspension or cancellation of a certificate construed (1.09.1981) by Merchant Shipping (Certification of Seamen) Act 1979 (37/1979), s. 10, S.I. No. 11 of 1981.

Consequential construction of certain provisions of Principal Act.

10.—References to suspension or cancellation of a certificate in sections 466, 469, 470 and 475 of the Principal Act shall be construed as including references to suspension or cancellation under section 9 of this Act.