Marine and Fisheries Law News

Nick Cotter acts in Baltic Sea cargo ship fatalities case

28th February 2025

3PB's crime and regulatory specialist counsel Nicholas Cotter advised his client Sam Farrow, who was captain of the 3,500-tonne cargo ship Scot Carrier, who was facing charges in this complex maritime case. Two Danish sailors, Erik Jensen and Per Hartmann Christensen, on a Danish barge died after the Scot Carrier collided with it and their 180-ft Karin Hoj capsized in the Baltic Sea, off the southern coast of Sweden. Sam Farrow was prosecuted because he...

Ocean Rowing Boat owner in court after rower died in world record bid

18th September 2023

3PB crime and regulatory barrister David Richards prosecuted the first ever case of charges against the owner of an ocean rowing boat. SC, the owner of the Toby Wallace, recruited 6 novices to row the Atlantic in January/February 2016. With barely any training they set off. Tragically, on day 16 of the voyage one of the crew members MJ was washed overboard and lost at sea. When the case was referred to David Richards, pictured...

Tom Horder in successful maritime prosecution in Liverpool for MCA

21st February 2023

Tom Horder (pictured here), who heads 3PB's crime team and is a member of chambers' 55-strong team of public and regulatory barristers, represented the MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency)  in the prosecution of Svitzer Marine Ltd that resulted in Svitzer being fined £2m and ordered to pay costs of £136,000. The prosecution arose out of the tragic death of the Chief Engineer onboard the Liverpool based tug The Millgarth. The MCA’s subsequent investigation focused on...

David Richards successfully prosecutes the skipper and owner of a rib following the death of a 15 year old girl

15th February 2023

3PB's crime, regulatory and maritime barrister David Richards - pictured here - led by Christine Agnew KC, secured convictions against Michael Lawrence (skipper) and Michael Howley (owner) arising from a collision between the rib driven by Mr Lawrence and the Netley North West marker in Southampton Water on 22 August 2020. The firm Seadogz, owned by Mr Howley ran a rib experience ride for high thrills excursions on Southampton Water. On 22 August 2020 when...

Head of 3PB Marine Group, David Richards edits Halsbury's Laws: Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022

11th October 2022

David Richards (pictured here), Head of 3PB Marine Group, together with Andrew Oliver, Marine Lawyer from Hull, are the Consultant Editors for volume 51 Halsbury’s Laws: Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022. The volume covers in great detail regulation of fishing and the environment at sea, inshore and in fresh water. It contains a detailed review of statute and subordinate legislation including Sea Fisheries Act 1968, Fisheries Act 1981, Merchant Shipping Act 1995, Marine and Coastal Access...

Sunyana Sharma and Dr Tagbo Ilozue provide review of Fisheries Act 2020  

14th June 2021

Two of 3PB’s public and regulatory barristers,  Sunyana Sharma and Dr Tagbo Ilozue, have published a review of Fisheries Act 2020 for legal publishers LexisNexis. To read an excerpt of the note from these two marine and fisheries law experts, please click here. If you wish to ask about the article, or to instruct them on a fisheries matter, please contact their clerk Gemma Faulkner on [email protected] or by calling him on 020 7583 8055....

David Richards successfully prosecutes skipper in Sussex triple-drownings case

15th March 2021

David Richards, Head of 3PB’s Marine Group, successfully prosecuted David Marr for failing to keep a proper lookout as master of the fishing vessel Vertrouwen, as a result of which three men, out for a night’s recreational fishing off the coast of Sussex, were killed. The incident happened just after midnight on 6 August 2017. Following a five-day retrial Mr Marr was convicted unanimously by the jury at Brighton Crown Court. He was sentenced to...

Sunyana Sharma extols the benefits of secondments for barristers in Counsel magazine

12th January 2021

In July 2013, barrister Sunyana Sharma started a whole new area of regulatory and disciplinary law when she took up a secondment as a Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) case presenter. For six months, she presented NMC cases up and down the country. The birth of her daughter in 2016 brought fresh challenges in returning to private practice and doing a three-week trial in Manchester at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service when still breastfeeding and...

3PB Barristers have created a dedicated webpage on its website to act as a hub for the many articles, briefings and webinar and podcast recordings about lockdown laws and regulations as well as practical issues like court attendance, e-bundles, remote and hybrid hearings. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to create employment, contractual and other legal challenges which are in many ways unprecedented. The impact of the virus is being felt, and in response, 3PB have...

David Richards and Dr Tagbo Ilozue discuss the implications for those in the maritime sector following the Covid-19 pandemic. The 60-minute webinar can be watched below and was originally broadcast on 2 July 2020.    

David Richards, head of the marine group at 3PB and pupil barrister Dr Tagbo Ilozue have reviewed national and international maritime responses to the Covid 19 crisis, looking in particular at the UK regulatory framework that may be used to police responses to the coronavirus beyond the current lockdown. The two maritime barristers and co-authors suggest that shipowners and employers of seafarers are best advised to take account of the special features of coronavirus and...

3PB Barrister Sunyana Sharma secures a conviction and sentence for the Maritime Coastguard Agency against the Master, Daniel Wakefield and the Company, London Party Boats Ltd following a collision of the vessel ‘Jewel of London’, a passenger class V vessel on the River Thames. On 13 December 2018 the ‘Jewel of London’ collided with the Marine Policing Unit pontoon in Wapping when the Master of the vessel fell asleep at the wheel after passengers had...