Francesco Berlingieri Prize 2023
On the anniversary of the centenary of the birth of Francesco Berlingieri, which took place in Genoa the 20th February 2022, IL DIRITTO MARITTIMO® a Quarterly Journal of Italian and Foreign Doctrine, Jurisprudence and Legislation, founded in 1899 by Francesco Berlingieri sen. and co-edited by Giorgio Berlingieri and Stefano Zunarelli, held a competition for the awarding of a prize in his honour.
Francesco Berlingieri, a former Editor in Chief of the Journal, a position now held by Giorgio Berlingieri, the President of the Italian Maritime Law Association and a vice President honoris causa of the CMI, began cooperating with IL DIRITTO MARITTIMO ® in 1946, contributing to its contents for over 70 years. A member of the Board of Assistants in 1948, he joined the Editorial Board in 1956, then becoming co-Director in 1976 and Editor in Chief in 1974.
As such he devoted particular care and attention in assisting with valuable advices the young lawyers and scholars when attending in the drafting of comments and case notes, welcoming them in the historical law office at n. 10, Via Roma, the seat of the Journal as well as of the Italian MLA, to correct their writings and suggesting amendments.
The Editors of the Journal, the oldest Italian publication in maritime law, whose title was recently granted with the trademark by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, drew up the Rules to award the prize to candidates of 35 years or younger.
In 2023, among the essays received, which had an anonymous submission, the Judges awarded the prize to Albano Gilabert Gascón, Universitat Jaume I de Castellón, Spain on Direct action against P&I Clubs in the European Union: Competent jurisdiction, legal nature and applicable law.
The giving ceremony of the prize, which consisted with an award certificate, the volumes of the Essays in Honor of Francesco Berlingieri, yearly volumes and five years index of the Journal, took place the 13 November at the Specola hall of Poggi Malvezzi Mansión, within the sixtheenth-century architectural complex seat of the University of Bologna, the oldest in the world, established in 1088.
The conferring of the prize at the Alma Mater Studiorum, as it is known the University of Bologna, has an historical significance: the 14 June 2001 that University awarded Francesco Berlingieri with an honorary degree in law, in acknowledgement of his extraordinary scientific and professional activity in the field of maritime law, which is added to the degrees honoris causa by the Universities of Antwerp and of Athens.
After Giorgio Berlingieri and Stefano Zunarelli, a vice president of the Italian MLA and Professor of maritime law, welcomed university Professors, scholars, students and family members of Francesco Berlingieri, who were present in numbers exceeding 80, and made opening remarks, the prize giving ceremony took place and the winner then addressed with a summary of his Essay.
He was followed by the second runner-up, Martina Iguera, Genoa, who made a summary of her Essay on The measure of indemnity regarding not repaired damages when a ship is not totally lost in Italian and English insurance law.
The two Essays are published in issue 3/2023 of IL DIRITTO MARITTIMO®.
Invitations will be made soon to submit Essays for the 2024 Francesco Berlingieri Prize, whose prize giving ceremony will take place in Genoa in the occasion of the celebrations for the 125th anniversary of the foundation of IL DIRITTO MARITTIMO®.
Thank you Giorgio Berlingieri for providing us with this information.
