1. Any person alleged to be liable may constitute a fund with the Court or other competent authority in any State Party in which legal proceedings are instituted in respect of claims subject to limitation. The fund shall be constituted in the sum of such of the amounts set out in Articles 6 and 7 as are applicable to claims for which that person may be liable, together with interest thereon from the date of the occurrence giving rise to the liability until the date of the constitution of the fund. Any fund thus constituted shall be available only for the payment of claims in respect of which limitation of liability can be invoked.

2. A fund may be constituted, either by depositing the sum, or by producing a guarantee acceptable under the legislation of the State Party where the fund is constituted and considered to be adequate by the Court or other competent authority.

3. A fund constituted by one of the persons mentioned in paragraph 1(a), (b) or (c) or paragraph 2 of Article 9 or his insurer shall be deemed constituted by all persons mentioned in paragraph 1(a), (b) or (c) or paragraph 2, respectively.

Article 12

Distribution of the fund

1. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Article 6 and of Article 7, the fund shall be distributed among the claimants in proportion to their established claims against the fund.

2. If, before the fund is distributed, the person liable, or his insurer, has settled a claim against the fund such person shall, up to the amount he has paid, acquire by subrogation the rights which the person so compensated would have enjoyed under this Convention.

3. The right of subrogation provided for in paragraph 2 may also be exercised by persons other than those therein mentioned in respect of any amount of compensation which they may have paid, but only to the extent that such subrogation is permitted under the applicable national law.

4. Where the person liable or any other person establishes that he may be compelled to pay, at a later date, in whole or in part any such amount of compensation with regard to which such person would have enjoyed a right of subrogation pursuant to paragraphs 2 and 3 had the compensation been paid before the fund was distributed, the Court or other competent authority of the State where the fund has been constituted may order that a sufficient sum shall be provisionally set aside to enable such person at such later date to enforce his claim against the fund.

Article 13

Bar to other actions

1. Where a limitation fund has been constituted in accordance with Article 11, any person having made a claim against the fund shall be barred from exercising any right in respect of such claim against any other assets of a person by or on behalf of whom the fund has been constituted.

2. After a limitation fund has been constituted in accordance with Article 11, any ship or other property, belonging to a person on behalf of whom the fund has been constituted, which has been arrested or attached within the jurisdiction of a State Party for a claim which may be raised against the fund, or any security given, may be released by order of the Court or other competent authority of such State. However, such release shall always be ordered if the limitation fund has been constituted:

(a) at the port where the occurrence took place, or, if it took place out of port, at the first port of call thereafter; or

(b) at the port of disembarkation in respect of claims for loss of life or personal injury; or

(c) at the port of discharge in respect of damage to cargo; or

(d) in the State where the arrest is made.

3. The rules of paragraphs 1 and 2 shall apply only if the claimant may bring a claim against the limitation fund before the Court administering that fund and the fund is actually available and freely transferable in respect of that claim.

Article 14

Governing law

Subject to the provisions of this Chapter the rules relating to the constitution and distribution of a limitation fund, and all rules of procedure in connexion therewith, shall be governed by the law of the State Party in which the fund is constituted.

CHAPTER IV

SCOPE OF APPLICATION

Article 15

1. This Convention shall apply whenever any person referred to in Article 1 seeks to limit his liability before the Court of a State Party or seeks to procure the release of a ship or other property or the discharge of any security given within the jurisdiction of any such State. Nevertheless, each State Party may exclude wholly or partially from the application of this Convention any person referred to in Article 1 who at the time when the rules of this Convention are invoked before the Courts of that State does not have his habitual residence in a State Party or does not have his principal place of business in a State Party or any ship in relation to which the right of limitation is invoked or whose release is sought and which does not at the time specified above fly the flag of a State Party.

2. A State Party may regulate by specific provisions of national law the system of limitation of liability to be applied to vessels which are:

(a) according to the law of that State, ships intended for navigation on inland waterways

(b) ships of less than 300 tons.

A State Party which makes use of the option provided for in this paragraph shall inform the depositary of the limits of liability adopted in its national legislation or of the fact that there are none.

3. A State Party may regulate by specific provisions of national law the system of limitation of liability to be applied to claims arising in cases in which interests of persons who are nationals of other States Parties are in no way involved.

4. The Courts of a State Party shall not apply this Convention to ships constructed for, or adapted to, and engaged in, drilling:

(a) when that State has established under its national legislation a higher limit of liability than that otherwise provided for in Article 6; or

(b) when that State has become party to an international convention regulating the system of liability in respect of such ships.

In a case to which sub-paragraph (a) applies that State Party shall inform the depositary accordingly.

5. This Convention shall not apply to:

(a) air-cushion vehicles;

(b) floating platforms constructed for the purpose of exploring or exploiting the natural resources of the sea-bed or the subsoil thereof.

CHAPTER V

FINAL CLAUSES

Article 16

Signature, ratification and accession

1. This Convention shall be open for signature by all States at the Headquarters of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (hereinafter referred to as „the Organization”) from 1 February 1977 until 31 December 1977 and shall thereafter remain open for accession.

2. All States may become parties to this Convention by:

(a) signature without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval; or

(b) signature subject to ratification, acceptance or approval followed by ratification, acceptance or approval; or

(c) accession.

3. Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be effected by the deposit of a formal instrument to that effect with the Secretary-General of the Organization (hereinafter referred to as „the Secretary-General”).

Article 17

Entry into force

1. This Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the month following one year after the date on which twelve States have either signed it without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval or have deposited the requisite instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.

2. For a State which deposits an instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, or signs without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval, in respect of this Convention after the requirements for entry into force have been met but prior to the date of entry into force, the ratification, acceptance, approval or accession or the signature without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval, shall take effect on the date of entry into force of the Convention or on the first day of the month following the ninetieth day after the date of the signature or the deposit of the instrument, whichever is the later date.

3. For any State which subsequently becomes a Party to this Convention, the Convention shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of ninety days after the date when such State deposited its instrument.

4. In respect of the relations between States which ratify, accept, or approve this Convention or accede to it, this Convention shall replace and abrogate the International Convention relating to the Limitation of the Liability of Owners of Sea-going Ships, done at Brussels on 10 October 1957, and the International Convention for the Unification of certain Rules relating to the Limitation of Liability of the Owners of Sea-going Vessels, signed at Brussels on 25 August 1924.

Article 18

Reservations

1. Any State may, at the time of signature, ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, reserve the right to exclude the application of Article 2 paragraph 1(d) and (e). No other reservations shall be admissible to the substantive provisions of this Convention.

2. Reservations made at the time of signature are subject to confirmation upon ratification, acceptance or approval.

3. Any State which has made a reservation to this Convention may withdraw it at any time by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary-General. Such withdrawal shall take effect on the date the notification is received. If the notification states that the withdrawal of a reservation is to take effect on a date specified therein, and such date is later than the date the notification is received by the Secretary-General, the withdrawal shall take effect on such later date.

Article 19

Denunciation

1. This Convention may be denounced by a State Party at any time one year from the date on which the Convention entered into force for that Party.

2. Denunciation shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument with the Secretary-General.

3. Denunciation shall take effect on the first day of the month following the expiration of one year after the date of deposit of the instrument, or after such longer period as may be specified in the instrument.

Article 20

Revision and amendment

1. A Conference for the purpose of revising or amending this Convention may be convened by the Organization.

2. The Organization shall convene a Conference of the States Parties to this Convention for revising or amending it at the request of not less than one-third of the Parties.

3. After the date of the entry into force of an amendment to this Convention, any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession deposited shall be deemed to apply to the Convention as amended, unless a contrary intention is expressed in the instrument.

Article 21

Revision of the limitation amounts and of Unit of Account or monetary unit

1. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 20, a Conference only for the purposes of altering the amounts specified in Articles 6 and 7 and in Article 8, paragraph 2, or of substituting either or both of the Units defined in Article 8, paragraphs 1 and 2, by other units shall be convened by the Organization in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article. An alteration of the amounts shall be made only because of a significant change in their real value.

2. The Organization shall convene such a Conference at the request of not less than one fourth of the States Parties.

3. A decision to alter the amounts or to substitute the Units by other units of account shall be taken by a two-thirds majority of the States Parties present and voting in such Conference.

4. Any State depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession to the Convention, after entry into force of an amendment, shall apply the Convention as amended.

Article 22

Depositary

1. This Convention shall be deposited with the Secretary-General.

2. The Secretary-General shall:

(a) transmit certified true copies of this Convention to all States which were invited to attend the Conference on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims and to any other States which accede to this Convention;

(b) inform all States which have signed or acceded to this Convention of:

(i) each new signature and each deposit of an instrument and any reservation thereto together with the date thereof;

(ii) the date of entry into force of this Convention or any amendment thereto;

(iii) any denunciation of this Convention and the date on which it takes effect;

(iv) any amendment adopted in conformity with Articles 20 or 21;

(v) any communication called for by any Article of this Convention.

3. Upon entry into force of this Convention, a certified true copy thereof shall be transmitted by the Secretary-General to the Secretariat of the United Nations for registration and publication in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.

Article 23

Languages

This Convention is established in a single original in the English, French, Russian and Spanish languages, each text being equally authentic.

Done at London this nineteenth day of November one thousand nine hundred and seventy-six.

In witness whereof the undersigned being duly authorized for that purpose have signed this Convention.

[Signatures not reproduced here.]

1976. ÉVI EGYEZMÉNY
A TENGERI KÖVETELÉSEKKEL ÖSSZEFÜGGŐ FELELŐSSÉG KORLÁTOZÁSÁRÓL

Az ebben az Egyezményben részes államok,

felismerve, hogy kívánatos lenne megállapodás útján egységes szabályokat megállapítani a tengeri követelésekkel összefüggő felelősség korlátozására,

úgy döntöttek, hogy e célból Egyezményt kötnek és az alábbiakban állapodtak meg:

I. FEJEZET

KORLÁTOZÁS JOGA

1. cikk

A felelősség korlátozására jogosult személyek

1. A jelen Egyezmény szerinti hajótulajdonosok és hajómentők a jelen Egyezmény rendelkezéseivel összhangban, a 2. cikkben szabályozott követelések vonatkozásában korlátozhatják felelősségüket.

2. A „hajótulajdonos” a tengerjáró hajó tulajdonosát, bérlőjét, üzemviteléért felelős személyt, illetve üzemben tartóját jelenti.

3. A hajómentő jelentése minden olyan személy, aki a mentési műveletekkel közvetlen összefüggésben nyújt szolgáltatásokat. A mentési műveletek magukban foglalják a 2. cikk 1. d), e) és f) bekezdésében hivatkozott műveleteket is.

4. Amennyiben bármely olyan személlyel szemben, akinek cselekményeiért, gondatlanságáért vagy mulasztásáért a hajótulajdonos, illetve a hajómentő felelősséggel tartozik, a 2. cikkben meghatározott valamely követelés merül fel, akkor e személy a jelen Egyezmény által biztosított módon jogosult a felelőssége korlátozására.

5. A jelen Egyezmény alapján a hajótulajdonos felelőssége magában foglalja a magával a hajóval szemben peres eljárásban érvényesített felelősséget is.