This short book is about the implementation of the Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea 1974, and the Protocol of 2002, into UK law. It introduces the principles of liability for death of, or injury to, passengers carried by sea, and to loss of, or damage to, their luggage. The book is about liability regimes when accidents occur, not contractual requirements for the content of brochures, etc. The book is on English law at the end of 2013. English law is largely governed by the Athens Convention 1974 and the Convention as revised by the Protocol of 2002 (Athens Convention 2002), both of which are in force in the UK, albeit for different voyages. However, no international convention comes into force automatically in the UK. There must be implementing legislation, and as far as the 2002 Convention is concerned, our law is directly affected by our membership of the EU. The interest in the subject (in my view) lies not just in the international conventions themselves, but also in the implementation provisions, and the way in which the various regimes interlock.

We are also in a transitional period, which - for the time being - makes English law more interesting than it would otherwise be. The book is not intended to be a comprehensive work of reference, but it introduces the principles and main aspects of the subject. Paul Todd has been teaching law for over 37 years, and is a Professor of Commercial and Maritime Law at the University of Southampton.