AUTONOMOUS VESSELS AND THE ROTTERDAM RULES

Selim Ciğer

Article Details

AUTONOMOUS VESSELS AND THE ROTTERDAM RULES

Authors:

Selim Ciğer

Publisher:

Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

Main Topics:

Hukuk (Diğer)

Journal:

Ticaret ve Fikri Mülkiyet Hukuku Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 2, pp.219-232

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001309313

pISSN:

2149-4576

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Technological developments in navigation and ship building techniques mean that the remote controlled vessels or wholly or partially autonomous vessels will be a reality in near future. Amongst the many questions these new ships pose is the suitability of the existing legal regulations governing maritime commerce. Considering that the law tends to lag behind the technological developments within the shipping industry, it is highly probable that these new ships will be subject to application of the rules regulating the carriage of goods by sea presently, at least in the early stages of their adoption. The apparent issue is that most of these rules are drafted entirely in adherence with the conventional ships and their needs. Understandably, there are valid concerns regarding these existing legal frameworks and their suitability to govern the remotely controlled or autonomous ships. One such legal regime is the Rotterdam Rules: drafted and opened to signature in about a decade ago, the international convention governing international carriage of goods wholly or partially by sea seeks to replace the existing legal frameworks presently applicable and achieve much needed uniformity by offering a modern and comprehensive alternative. Although there exist some doubts on whether such ambitions are still realistically attainable due to considerable criticism the Convention has received over the past years, an aspect that is not immediately obvious is the compatibility of this new regime with the new type of vessels. Therefore, it is the aim of this paper to explore to what extent the Rotterdam Rules are apt to govern related legal problems concerning the use of remote controlled or autonomous vessels.

 Technological developments in navigation and ship building techniques mean that the remote controlled vessels or wholly or partially autonomous vessels will be a reality in near future. Amongst the many questions these new ships pose is the suitability of the existing legal regulations governing maritime commerce. Considering that the law tends to lag behind the technological developments within the shipping industry, it is highly probable that these new ships will be subject to application of the rules regulating the carriage of goods by sea presently, at least in the early stages of their adoption. The apparent issue is that most of these rules are drafted entirely in adherence with the conventional ships and their needs. Understandably, there are valid concerns regarding these existing legal frameworks and their suitability to govern the remotely controlled or autonomous ships. One such legal regime is the Rotterdam Rules: drafted and opened to signature in about a decade ago, the international convention governing international carriage of goods wholly or partially by sea seeks to replace the existing legal frameworks presently applicable and achieve much needed uniformity by offering a modern and comprehensive alternative. Although there exist some doubts on whether such ambitions are still realistically attainable due to considerable criticism the Convention has received over the past years, an aspect that is not immediately obvious is the compatibility of this new regime with the new type of vessels. Therefore, it is the aim of this paper to explore to what extent the Rotterdam Rules are apt to govern related legal problems concerning the use of remote controlled or autonomous vessels.

 Technological developments in navigation and ship building techniques mean that the remote controlled vessels or wholly or partially autonomous vessels will be a reality in near future. Amongst the many questions these new ships pose is the suitability of the existing legal regulations governing maritime commerce. Considering that the law tends to lag behind the technological developments within the shipping industry, it is highly probable that these new ships will be subject to application of the rules regulating the carriage of goods by sea presently, at least in the early stages of their adoption. The apparent issue is that most of these rules are drafted entirely in adherence with the conventional ships and their needs. Understandably, there are valid concerns regarding these existing legal frameworks and their suitability to govern the remotely controlled or autonomous ships. One such legal regime is the Rotterdam Rules: drafted and opened to signature in about a decade ago, the international convention governing international carriage of goods wholly or partially by sea seeks to replace the existing legal frameworks presently applicable and achieve much needed uniformity by offering a modern and comprehensive alternative. Although there exist some doubts on whether such ambitions are still realistically attainable due to considerable criticism the Convention has received over the past years, an aspect that is not immediately obvious is the compatibility of this new regime with the new type of vessels. Therefore, it is the aim of this paper to explore to what extent the Rotterdam Rules are apt to govern related legal problems concerning the use of remote controlled or autonomous vessels.

 Seyrüsefer ve gemi inşa teknolojisindeki son gelişmeler neticesinde tam veya yarı otonom gemilerin yakın bir gelecekte yaygın şekilde kullanıma geçmesi muhtemel görünmektedir. Bu türden yeni tip gemilerin kullanımı sebebiyle ortaya çıkacak en önemli meselelerden biri ise mevcut hukuki düzenlemelerin otonom ve yarı otonom gemilere ne ölçüde uygulanabilir olduğudur. Genellikle hukuki düzenlemelerin denizcilik endüstrisindeki teknolojik gelişmeleri epey gecikmeli olarak takip ettiği göz önünde bulundurulursa, yeni tip gemilerin, en azından ilk aşamada, mevcut hukuki düzenlemelere tabi olması kuvvetle muhtemel görünmektedir. Ancak mevcut düzenlemelerin uzun yıllardır kullanılagelen konvansiyonel gemilere ve bu gemilerin tabi olduğu hukuki ihtiyaçlara göre kaleme alındığı dikkate alınırsa, bu gemilere göre büyük farklılıklar gösteren yeni tip gemilerin mevcut hükümler ile uyumu hakkında bir takım soru işaretleri bulunduğunu kabul etmek gerekir. Söz konusu hukuki düzenlemelerden biri de kısmen veya tamamen deniz yoluyla yük taşınması konulu sözleşmeleri düzenleyen mevcut hukuki rejimlerin yerini alarak bu alanda ihtiyaç duyulan yeknesaklığı sağlamak amacıyla kaleme alınarak 2009da imzaya açılan Rotterdam Kurallarıdır. Her ne kadar Konvansiyonun hükümleri detaylı analizlerle ele alınmış olsa da bu hükümlerin yeni tip gemilere uygunluğu üzerinde fazlaca durulan bir konu değildir. Bu sebeple, bu çalışmada Rotterdam Kurallarının otonom ve yarı otonom gemilere ne derecede uygun olduğu hususunun ele alınmıştır.

Article Details

AUTONOMOUS VESSELS AND THE ROTTERDAM RULES

Authors:

Selim Ciğer

Publisher:

Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

Main Topics:

Hukuk (Diğer)

Journal:

Ticaret ve Fikri Mülkiyet Hukuku Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 2, pp.219-232

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001309313

pISSN:

2149-4576

Carriage of goods by sea

Rotterdam Rules

Autonomous Ships

Remote Control Center

Carrier’s subcontractorsNavlun sözleşmesi

Rotterdam Kuralları

Otonom Gemiler

Kumanda Merkezi

Taşıyanın ifa yardımcıları

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Selim Ciğer

Publisher: Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

Main Topics: Hukuk (Diğer)

Journal: Ticaret ve Fikri Mülkiyet Hukuku Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 2, pp.219-232

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 12/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001309313

pISSN: 2149-4576

Issues

Authors:

Selim Ciğer

Publisher:

Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

Main Topics:

Hukuk (Diğer)

Journal:

Ticaret ve Fikri Mülkiyet Hukuku Dergisi Vol.9 Issue 2, pp.219-232

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001309313

pISSN:

2149-4576