Admiralty | 13 May 2026
Wreck removal claims excluded from limitation entirely where Australia has exercised its Art 18(1)(a) reservation under the 1976 Convention
The High Court unanimously held that where Australia has exercised its right of reservation under Art 18(1)(a) of the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (1976) to exclude Art 2(1)(d) and (e), claims for wreck removal are not limitable under the Convention at all — even if they also fall within Art 2(1)(a) as claims for loss of or damage to property. The reservation operates on an "all or nothing" basis.