S.L. 234.53 Art. 6Liability for costs.

(1) This regulation shall apply if:

(a) a ship has been involved in an accident as a result of which it or anything from it has become a wreck in the Convention area; and

(b) costs have been incurred by the competent authority.

(2) The person who incurred the costs is entitled to recover them from the ship’s registered owner unless the owner proves that an exception set out in paragraph 1(a), (b) or (c) of Article 10 of the Convention applies.

(3) The registered owner is not liable for costs under these regulations if or to the extent that liability would conflict with -

(a) a convention listed in paragraph 1 of Article 11 of the Convention;

(b) an enactment implementing such a convention; or

(c) any other provision specified by order made by the competent authority.

(4) Where the registered owner of each of two or more ships is liable for costs under this regulation, but the costs for which each is liable cannot reasonably be separated, the registered owners shall be jointly liable for the total costs.

(5) This regulation does not prevent the exercise of the right (if any) to limit liability.