It would be quite wrong to conclude that as shipping is an international business, conducted in English, where English law and practice is widely applied, other legal systems related to a shipping dispute (whether that of the flag or the owner, or the place of loading or unloading) are of no practical significance. There are many cases in which Greek law is relevant, even when it has nor been chosen to govern the issue in question. Given that 17% of the world’s fleet is owned by Greek interests and Greece has a vibrant tourist industry, with 3,00 islands and 15.000 ports, there are many cases in which Greek law will play a significant, and often the principal, role in solving the dispute. If you are familiar with both systems you will always have a competitive edge.
A short guide to Greek maritime law in English, just published by Professor Ioannis Rokas, will fill an important gap; it is remarkable that a book in English on Greek maritime law, which differs in many respects from English law, has never been published before.
The book has been written in plain language and will be clear even to someone now to shipping. This comes from the writer’s experience in active practice for over 31 years, and from teaching the topic to students of business administration for the past 15 years. Virginia Murray, a practising barrister in London for five years and one of the only British lawyers to requalify at the Athens Bar, has translated the text in an easily readable forra and added some footnotes for the assistance of readers unfamiliar with Greek legal concepts often so confusing to those brought up in the Anglo-Saxon system.