Section Text
For section 352A of the principal Act, the following section shall be substituted, namely:-
"352A. Limitation of liability for damages in respect of certain claims.
(1) The ship owner, salvor, any person for whose act, neglect or default the ship owner or salvor, as the case may be, is responsible, and an insurer of liability for claims to the same extent as the assured himself, may limit his liability as provided under section 352B in respect of,-
(a) claims arising from loss of life of or personal injury to, or loss of or damage to, property (including damage to harbour works, basins and waterways and aids to navigation), occurring on board or in direct connection with the operation of the ship or with salvage operations, and consequential loss resulting therefrom;
(b) claims arising out of loss resulting from delay in the carriage by sea of cargo and passengers or their luggage;
(c) claims arising out of other loss resulting from infringement of rights other than contractual rights, occurring in direct connection with the operation of the ship or salvage operations;
(d) claims of a person other than the person liable in respect of measures taken in order to avert or minimise loss for which the person liable may limit his liability in accordance with the provisions of the Convention or the rules made in this behalf prescribe, as the case may be, and such further loss caused by such measures;
(e) claims for the loss of life or personal injury to passengers of a ship brought by or on behalf of any person,-
(i) under the contract of passenger carriage; or
(ii) who, with the consent of the carrier, is accompanying a vehicle for live animals which are covered by a contract for the carriage of goods, carried in that ship:
Provided that the limits for passengers claim specified in the rules made under this Part shall not be applicable to the passengers carried in and around the coast of India in respect of whom separate limits shall be prescribed.
(2) Claims set out in sub-section (1) shall be subject to limitation of liability even if brought by way of recourse or for indemnity under a contract or otherwise:
Provided that claims set out in clause (d) of sub-section (1) shall not be subject to limitation of liability to the extent that they relate to remuneration under a contract with the person liable.
(3) Nothing in this section shall apply to-
(a) claims for salvage or contribution in general average;
(b) claims for oil pollution damage within the meaning of the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, 1992 as amended from time to time;
(c) claims by servants of the ship owner or salvor whose duties are connected with the ship or the salvage operations, including claims of their heirs, dependents or other persons entitled to make such claims, if under the law governing the contract of service between the ship owner or salvor and such servants of the ship owner or salvor is not entitled to limit his liability in respect of such claims, or if he is by such law only permitted to limit his liability to an amount greater than that provided for in the provision of the Convention or the rules made under this Part prescribe;
(d) claims subject to any International Convention or any law for the time being in force in India governing or prohibiting limitation of liability for nuclear damage;
(e) claims against the ship owner of a nuclear ship for nuclear damage.
Explanation 1.-For the purpose of this section, the act of involving limitation of liability shall not constitute an admission of liability.
Explanation 2. - For the purpose of this Part, the liability of a ship owner shall include liability in an action brought against the ship herself.".