Shipping Law

Develop your knowledge in a major area of law involving ship and cargo owners, operators, banks and insurers, as well as governments and international organisations.

The School of Law and Politics has a long and illustrious history of teaching maritime law. Many of our graduates are leading practitioners, officials and noted academics in the field. Maintaining this tradition, our LLM programme in Shipping Law provides a thorough grounding in the practical and theoretical aspects of maritime law, giving its graduates the necessary expertise to specialise in this challenging, multifaceted and vital area of the law.

The shipping industry is a core component of a globalised and inter-connected world. Approximately 90% of global trade is carried by sea and shipping remains the most cost-effective, efficient and pragmatic method for transporting goods and materials around the world. These practices and transactions are underpinned by a complex network of contracts involving ship owners and operators, cargo owners, banks and insurers, as well as extensive national and international legislation. Shipping law remains an exciting and fast-paced profession and lawyers with these unique and specialised skills are in regular and global demand.

The UK has longstanding expertise in the law relating to maritime commerce and remains the most prominent and widely trusted jurisdiction for the resolution of maritime disputes – even for those with little or no connection to the UK. A rigorous and comprehensive knowledge of English maritime law and dispute resolution principles is therefore highly prized internationally as a vital element of global shipping law practice.

Our LLM Shipping Law programme provides a wide range of modules tailored to the practice of maritime law, allowing you the flexibility to customise your studies in line with your professional and academic needs or interests. Our coverage spans the key commercial elements of maritime and transportation law, as well as the international regulation of ships and shipping, the protection of the marine environment, international trade and allied fields such as dispute resolution and energy law.