Faṣlnāmah-i Pizhūhish-i Huqūq-i Khuṣūṣī (May 2020)
Establishing a Uniform Practice through Interpretation of International Convention on Carriage of Goods by Sea
Abstract
Rotterdam Rules by expanding the jurisdiction and arbitration scope, took an important step towards the unified application of international rules governing the Carriage of Goods by Sea. At the same time, the extended scope of competent authority in this Convention to hear a case by different and numerous authorities would bring divergent interpretations while they are still valid interpretations of international rules. Therefore it may defeat the main purpose of codification of international conventions supported in Rotterdam Rules. In this regard, the interpretation of international rules by national authorities gains the utmost importance in unification of international rules. The question is that whether national authorities in the judicial process are obligated to apply the rules codified in international conventions? Or when parties to a dispute have expressed their mutual consent on the applicability of a specific rule, can national authorities disregard international rules or can they set aside the agreement of the parties to a dispute? It seems that the prior development of domestic law is crucial to unified application on international rules governing the Carriage of Goods by Sea and this is possible only through interpretation of international conventions in its own framework.
