CMI at LEG112

The 112th session of the IMO Legal Committee (LEG 112) opened on 24 March 2025 at the Organization’s headquarters in London. Day 1 saw a strong CMI presence, with President Ann Fenech, Haris Zografakis and Jolien Kruit (chair and member of the IWG on decarbonisation), EXCO member Eduardo Albors, and Japanese MLA President Tomotaka Fujita in attendance. Discussions focused on tackling fraudulent ship registrations and illegal maritime practices, culminating in the establishment of a working group to set terms of reference for a scoping exercise. Significantly, the Committee approved a new work output to assess the adequacy of existing IMO liability regimes in light of alternative fuels—a proposal co-sponsored by CMI and informed by its Gothenburg Decarbonisation Papers.

On Day 2, work continued in smaller working groups and side meetings, particularly in relation to defining the scope and framework for the new correspondence group on fraudulent practices. Delegates also informally discussed preliminary approaches to MASS and legal frameworks surrounding seafarers’ rights.

Day 3 featured a series of lively debates on a range of topics, including Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), the implications of the ongoing conflict in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, and the consistent application of IMO liability conventions. Under Agenda Item 12, CMI President Ann Fenech addressed the Committee on the progress made in the signing of the Judicial Sales Convention, highlighting that 32 states have now signed the treaty, with the latest signatories—including Malta, Spain, and Italy—having joined at a second ceremony hosted in Malta following LEG 111. The CMI delegation also included Tom Birch Reynardson (IWG on MASS), Johanna Ohlman (Piracy IWG), and Valeria Eboli (IWG on Unfair Treatment of Seafarers), each contributing to the week’s varied and engaging discussions.