Guardian Offshore AU Pty Ltd v Saab Seaeye Leopard 1702 Remotely Operated Vehicle Lately On Board The Ship 'Offshore Guardian' [2020] FCA 273

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Guardian Offshore AU Pty Ltd v Saab Seaeye Leopard 1702 Remotely Operated Vehicle Lately On Board The Ship 'Offshore Guardian' [2020] FCA 273 File number: WAD 461 of 2019

Judge: COLVIN J

Date of judgment: 9 March 2020

Catchwords: ADMIRALTY - application to dismiss proceedings for want of jurisdiction and for arrest to be set aside - where warrant issued for arrest of remote operated vehicle - whether arrested ROV is the ship named in arrest warrant - whether defendant was at all material times the true owner of arrested ROV - whether the ROV is a ship under definition in s 3 of Admiralty Act 1988 (Cth) - proceedings dismissed - arrest set aside

Legislation: Admiralty Act 1988 (Cth) ss 3, 17, 18, 19 Federal Court Rules 2011 (Cth) r 8.21 Admiralty Court Act 1861 (UK) s 2

Cases cited: Alcan (NT) Alumina Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Territory Revenue [2009] HCA 41; (2009) 239 CLR 27 Alphapharm Pty Ltd v H Lundbeck A/S [2014] HCA 42; (2014) 254 CLR 247 Bridge Shipping Pty Ltd v Grand Shipping SA [1991] HCA 45; (1991) 173 CLR 231 Canada v St John Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co Ltd (1981) 126 DLR (3d) 353 Commissioner of Taxation v Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd [2012] HCA 55; (2012) 250 CLR 503 Cook v Dredging & Construction Co Ltd [1958] 1 Lloyd's Rep 334 Cyber Sea Technologies Inc v Underwater Harvester Remotely Operated Vehicle 2002 FCT 794 Elbe Shipping SA v The Ship 'Global Peace' [2006] FCA 954; (2006) 154 FCR 439 Lacey v Attorney General (Qld) [2011] HCA 10; (2011) 242 CLR 573 Marine Craft Constructors Ltd v Erland Blomqvist (Engineers) Ltd (1953) 1 Ll L Rep 514 Merchants Marine Insurance Co Ltd v North of England Protecting and Indemnity Association (1926) 26 Ll L Rep 201 Michael v Musgrave (trading as Ynys Ribs) (The 'Sea Eagle') [2011] EWHC 1438 Network Ten Pty Ltd v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [2004] HCA 14; (2004) 218 CLR 273 Owners of the Ship 'Shin Kobe Maru' v Empire Shipping Company Inc [1994] HCA 54; (1994) 181 CLR 404 Polpen Shipping Co Ltd v Commercial Union Assurance Co Ltd (1942) 74 Ll L Rep 157 R v Goodwin [2005] EWCA Crim 3184 Steedman v Scofield [1992] 2 Lloyd's Rep 163 SZTAL v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2017] HCA 34; (2017) 262 CLR 362 Tabcorp Holdings Ltd v Victoria [2016] HCA 4 The Owners of the Motor Vessel 'Iran Amanat' v KMP Coastal Oil Pte Limited [1999] HCA 11; (1999) 196 CLR 130 The 'Von Rocks' [1998] 2 Lloyd's Rep 198 Tisand Pty Ltd v The Owners of the Ship MV 'Cape Moreton' (ex 'Freya') [2005] FCAFC 68; (2005) 143 FCR 43 Wells v Owners of the Gas Float Whitton (No 2) [1897] AC 337