Marine Law

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency held a consultation seeking views on the draft Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships and Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships) (Amendment) Regulations 2024, which will expand the category of ships that are required to carry a Garbage Record Book to include every ship of 100 GT and above.

• Find out more on the UK Government website
• Read our response

The Scottish Government held a consultation seeking views on using electronic tracking and monitoring technologies on under 12 metre commercial fishing vessels in Scottish waters (and Scottish vessels wherever they operate).

• Find out more on the Scottish Government website
• Read our response

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency held a consultation seeking views on changes to Marine Guidance Note (MGN) 627(M) which provides an overview of the changes made by the Merchant Shipping (Safety Standards for Passenger Ships on Domestic Voyages) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2022 and associated Marine Notices.

• Find out more on the UK Government website
• Read our response

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency held a consultation seeking views on methodology for assessing navigation safety risk of aquaculture sites and the related guidance in the form of draft Marine Guidance Note 687 (M+F).

• Find out more on the UK Government website
• Read our response

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency held a consultation seeking views on the draft Marine Guidance Note MGN 681 (M) “Fire safety and storage of small electric powered craft on yachts”.

• Find out more on the UK Government website
• Read our response

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency held a consultation on a proposal to amend the merchant shipping (seamen’s documents) regulations 1987 so that work on a fishing vessel makes the applicant eligible for issue of a British Seamen’s Card.

Find out more on the UK Government website

Read our response

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency held a consultation seeking views on matters it is proposed will be introduced by a new Statutory Instrument, the Merchant Shipping (Cargo and Passenger Ship Construction and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2022.

• Find out more on the UK Government website
• Read our response

The Department for Transport held a consultation seeking views and evidence on the optimal pathway to net zero emissions in 2050 for the domestic maritime sector, including where there is scope to accelerate decarbonisation across sub-sectors.

• Find out more on the UK Government website
• Read our response

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency held a consultation seeking views on The Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) Regulations 2023 which would replace the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/2950) and the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Large Ships) Regulations (SI 1998/1012).

• Find out more on the UK Government website
• Read our response
  
   

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency held a consultation on the review of Marine Guidance Note (MGN) 372 Safety of Navigation: Offshore Renewable Energy Installations (OREIs): Guidance to mariners operating in the vicinity of UK OREIs.

• Find out more on the UK Government website
• Read our response

The UK Government held a consultation seeking views on proposed new legislation on seafarers’ wage protection. This protection would be achieved by introducing conditions for access to UK ports.

• Find out more on the UK Government website
• Read our response

The Scottish Government held a consultation to seek the views of stakeholders on Scotland’s Future Catching Policy (FCP), which will establish a new approach to managing sea fishing activities within Scottish waters and ensure that the right management measures are in place to support reasonable and pragmatic decision making.

• Find out more on the Scottish Government website
• Read our response

Marine Scotland held a consultation as one of the final stages in the process of updating the Marine Litter Strategy for Scotland. The consultation seeks input from the public and other organisations to finalise the strategy and action plan before it is published.

• Find out more on the Scottish Government website
• Read our response

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency consulted on an Amendment to update MGN 306(M) Designing and Operating Smaller Passenger Vessels: Meeting the needs of persons with reduced mobility.

• View the consultation on the UK Government website
• Read our response

The UK Government launched a consultation seeking views on the proposed extension of enforcement powers used for maritime legislation to enable a comprehensive suite of civil sanctions.

• View the consultation on the UK Government website.
• Read our response.

The UK Government launched a consultation calling for views on its proposals to change legislation to place bring recreational and personal watercraft within scope of the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.

• View the consultation on the UK Government's website
• Read our response

The UK Government issued a consultation seeking views on the implementation of the updates of the International High Speed Craft (HSC) Codes which operate under Chapter X of SOLAS.

• View the consultation on the UK Government's website
• Read our response

The UK Government issued a consultation seeking views on the proposed merchant shipping (nuclear ships) regulations 2021, which will transpose chapter VIII of the SOLAS convention, 1974 into UK law. Views were also sought on the draft MGN.

• View the consultation on the UK Government's website
• Read our response

The UK Government issued a consultation to seek views on a new Statutory Instrument (SI) and code for HSOSC, providing legal underpinning to transport ‘Industrial Personnel’ to and from offshore energy installations.

• View the consultation on the UK Government's website
• Read our response

A UK Government consultation on a new statutory instrument to update regulations on safety measures for bulk carriers.

• View the consultation.
• Read our response.

Section 7 of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 (“2007 Act”) empowers the Scottish Ministers to approve a code of practice, in whole or in part, in order to give practical guidance to fish farmers, promoting desirable practices with respect to the containment of fish on fish farms and the prevention of escapes by farmed fish. The Scottish Government ran a consultation on that code of practice.

• View the original consultation.
• Read our response.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency are carrying out a consultation on draft merchant shipping (control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments) regulations 2021. These will implement the international convention for the control and management of ships’ ballast water and sediments into domestic law.

• You can see the original consultation on the UK Government's website. 
• Our response was submitted in June 2021.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency issued a consultation on the draft Merchant Shipping (Radiocommunications) (Amendment) Regulations 2021. It set out proposals to implement an up-to-date version of chapter IV of the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS) into UK law and give direct effect to future changes to chapter IV by means of a power to make an ambulatory reference to those international requirements.

• Read the Law Society's response

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency issued a consultation relating. to the implementation of the safety related requirements in the Merchant Shipping (Polar Code) (Safety) Regulations 2021.

• Read the Law Society's response

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency issued a consultation on the proposed revision to MGN 630 regarding the process for surveyors undertaking and verifying corrective action prior to submitting a comparison report to the MCA in November 2020.

• Read the Law Society of Scotland's submission (December 2020)

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency issued a consultation seeking views on a new Statutory Instrument, which is required to amend the existing Regulations (The Merchant Shipping (Counting and Registration of Persons on Board Passenger Ships) Regulations 1999) (“SI 1999/1869”).

• Read the consultation on the UK Government's website
• Read the Law Society of Scotland's response (November 2020)

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) issued a consultation asking for views on how it should split additional fishing quota between the four administrations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 2021.

• Read Defra's consultation on its website
• Read the Law Society of Scotland's response (November 2020)

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency issued a consultation requesting comments on the proposed revision of the code of practice for the safety of fishing vessels of less than 15m length overall, replacing MSN 1871 Amendment No.1.

• Read the consultation on the UK Government's website.
• Read the Law Society of Scotland's response. (October 2020)

The UK Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee launched an overarching inquiry looking at technological innovations which could contribute to tackling climate change. Each part of the inquiry will look at a specific technology currently in use or in development and consider its potential and how Government policy can facilitate the UK making the best and most cost-effective use of that technology. The first session of this inquiry will look at offshore wind power.

• View the inquiry on the UK Parliament's website
• Read our written evidence

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency issued a consultation requesting views on draft marine guidance notes (MGNs) to replace M.1386 and M.1409 containing guidance on the provision of emergency information and instructions to passengers.

• See the consultation in full on the UK Government's website
• Read the Law Society's response

The Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee invited written evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on the rural economy and connectivity in Scotland.

• View the call for evidence on the Scottish Parliament's website
• Read our submission

The UK Government issued a consultation seeking views on the draft merchant shipping (prevention of pollution by garbage from ships) regulations 2020.

• See the consultation in full on the UK Government's website
• Read the Law Society's response

The UK Government issued a consultation seeking views on the draft merchant shipping (prevention of pollution by sewage from ships) regulations 2020.     

• See the consultation in full on the UK Government's website
• Read the Law Society's response

The Scottish Government has issued a consultation to seek views on the draft Plan, the draft Plan Options therein, and the suite of assessments captured under the Sustainability Appraisal.  

• See the consultation in full on the Scottish Government's website
• Read the Law Society's response

The Scottish Government issued a consultation to better understand the role of both fixed and floating offshore wind technologies in reaching the net zero target, and how it can maximise the economic opportunity attached to commercial scale offshore wind deployment in Scottish waters. The feedback will be used to inform the development of the final Offshore Wind Policy Statement.

• View the consultation on the Scottish Government's website
• Law Society of Scotland's response 

The Scottish Government has issued a consultation to gather views from industry, regulators and other stakeholders on Scotland’s first industry guidance for the eventual decommissioning of offshore renewable energy infrastructure.

• View the consultation on the Scottish Government's website
• Law Society of Scotland's response 

The Scottish Parliament's Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee has held an inquiry into construction and procurement of ferry vessels in Scotland.

•  Read about the inquiry here
• See the Law Society's response to the call for evidence

The Scottish Government has issued a consultation on proposals to designate four Marine Protected Areas in Scottish waters:

• View the consultation on the Scottish Government's website
•  The Law Society of Scotland's response (December 2019)

The Scottish Government has issued a consultation on a proposal to designate two Marine Protected Areas:

• View the consultation on the Scottish Government's website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (November 2019)

The Scottish Government has issued a consultation on proposals to designate four Marine Protected Areas in Scottish waters:

• View the consultation on the Scottish Government's website
•  The Law Society of Scotland's response (August 2019)

The Scottish Parliament's Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee’s inquiry has issued its call for evidence on Regional Marine Planning.

• View the consultation on the Scottish Parliament's website 
•  The Law Society of Scotland's response (July 2019) 

The Scottish Government has issued a consultation on the future management of Scotland’s marine fisheries.

• View the consultation on the Scottish Government's website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (June 2019)

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has issued a White Paper on a future approach to fisheries management.

• View the White Paper on the GOV.UK website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (September 2018)

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued a consultation to bring up to date the UK’s transposition of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Convention for the Prevention of Oil Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Annex I) into domestic law.

• View the consultation on the GOV.UK website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (July 2018)

The Scottish Government have launched a consultation on proposals to to designate Loch Carron as a nature conservation Marine Protected Area (MPA), with an associated Marine Conservation Order (MCO).

• View the consultation on the Scottish Government website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (June 2018)

The UK Government's Department for Transport has issued a consultation to support a long term strategy to secure the future of the UK maritime sector.

• View the consultation on the GOV.UK website
• The Law Society of Scotland's response (May 2018)