SHOC – Shipping and Ocean Law Group

The research group brings together researchers with both private law and public international law background. Whereas shipping law and the law of the sea are traditionally regarded as two separate fields of law, their synergy provides promising opportunities for research in the field.

The research area covers topics traditionally dealt with in shipping law such as maritime contract law (bills of lading, charter parties and maritime supply chains in general) and tort law (liability of the shipowner, and other maritime actors such as offshore facility operators and classification societies for injuries, property damage and environmental damage) and topics traditionally dealt with in international law of the sea, such as maritime limits and delimitation, protection of the marine environment and peaceful settlement of international disputes regarding marine affairs.

There are clear overlaps between the two research areas with regard to e.g. jurisdictional issues (flag state jurisdiction and extraterritorial jurisdiction), off-shore activities, such as windmill projects and deep mining projects, maritime safety  and environmental issues, including climate change issues. More recently, the issues of automation of ships, the migrant crisis, the climate crisis and the Arctic have surfaced as important subjects that raise both private and public law questions.

The group also aims at promoting maritime legal research among Danish and international students, the facilitation of international and interdisciplinary collaboration, and the establishment of contacts with the shipping industry.