Informa Law from Routledge
Managing Legal Risks in Voyage Charterparties for Autonomous Ships
Managing Legal Risks in Voyage Charterparties for Autonomous Ships
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Raphael Esu
ISBN: 9781003864288
Published: February 2026
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Publisher: Informa Law from Routledge
Despatched in 6 to 8 days.
Description
As Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) move from pilot projects toward commercial reality, the maritime sector faces a fundamental re-think of contractual obligations that have always assumed a human crew. Managing Legal Risks in Voyage Charterparties for Autonomous Ships examines how the key voyage charterparty obligations of seaworthiness, care for cargo, and deviation apply — or fail to apply cleanly — when a vessel operates with reduced or no human presence on board, and offers a structured framework for reallocating liability between shipowners and charterers as the technology matures.
Key Features
Focuses squarely on the contractual relationship between shipowners and charterers rather than the regulatory frameworks already covered elsewhere in the MASS literature.
Re-examines seaworthiness, care for cargo, and deviation — three of the most litigated voyage charterparty obligations — specifically through the lens of autonomous operation.
Offers a structured framework for allocating risk through charterparty clauses, giving legal professionals a practical starting point for drafting and negotiation.
Coverage
Topics include: the legal definition of seaworthiness for autonomous and remotely operated vessels; care for cargo obligations without a human crew; deviation and route decision-making in autonomous operation; and risk allocation between shipowners and charterers through charterparty drafting.
About the Authors
Dr Raphael Esu is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Hertfordshire, where he leads modules in Contract Law and Torts. He has also lectured at City, University of London, teaching Carriage of Goods by Sea and Cross-Border Commercial Law, and is a member of the London Universities Maritime Research Group. He holds a PhD in Shipping and Commercial Law from City, University of London, with a thesis on managing legal risks in autonomous ships under voyage charterparties, and has industry experience in maritime legal practice.
Table of Contents
The book is structured around the three central voyage charterparty obligations examined in the context of MASS: seaworthiness; care for cargo; and deviation, followed by a proposed framework for risk allocation between shipowners and charterers using charterparty clauses.
Why buy this book?
As MASS pilots move toward commercial deployment, shipowners, charterers, and their counsel are already drafting clauses for vessels that don't fit the assumptions baked into standard charterparty forms. This book gives practitioners a concrete starting point for that drafting work, rather than a purely regulatory or theoretical survey of autonomous shipping.
Keywords
autonomous ships, voyage charterparties, MASS, seaworthiness, maritime law, charterparty drafting, shipowner liability, cargo claims, deviation, maritime technology law
Target Audience
Maritime lawyers, shipowners and charterers, policy-makers, maritime insurers, academics in shipping and commercial law
Genre
Maritime Law, Shipping, Maritime Technology Law
Q&A
What does this book cover? It examines how the voyage charterparty obligations of seaworthiness, care for cargo, and deviation apply to autonomous and remotely operated vessels, and proposes a framework for allocating liability.
Who is this book for? Maritime lawyers, shipowners, charterers, maritime insurers, and academics working on shipping law and maritime technology.
Does it focus on regulation or contract law? It deliberately focuses on the contractual relationship between shipowners and charterers rather than regulatory frameworks, which are covered elsewhere in the literature.
Is this relevant if MASS aren't yet operating commercially at scale? Yes — the book is aimed at practitioners already drafting and negotiating charterparty clauses ahead of wider MASS deployment.
Where can I buy Managing Legal Risks in Voyage Charterparties for Autonomous Ships? You can order it directly from CLNZ Books, with secure worldwide shipping.
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