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Which types of cases are commonly heard by the English Admiralty Court?
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Maritime law
Justinian I, detail of a mosaic, 6th century; in the Basilica of San Vitale, Ravenna, Italy.
The English Admiralty Court, which was merged into the High Court of Justice in 1875, historically evolved from handling piracy and prize cases to focusing on civil maritime matters.1
Following the transfer of its criminal jurisdiction to the Central Criminal Court in 1834, the court concentrated on marine cases involving shipping, collisions, and salvage. While its legal powers remain broad today, in practice, the cases most commonly brought before the Admiralty Court involve:1
- Marine collisions12
- Salvage12
- Damage to cargo1
Other maritime-related controversies, such as those concerning charter parties, ocean bills of lading, and marine insurance, are more frequently heard by the Commercial Court.2