An appraisal of the international oil pollution liability regime.

摘要

The thesis aims at finding a better international oil pollution liability regime. To this effect, it examines the past and present oil pollution liability systems. It establishes that the international oil pollution liability regime has made significant progress since the Torrey Canyon oil pollution incident in 1967. Strict liability for oil pollution, compulsory insurance on shipowners to meet the liability and the creation of the International Oil Pollution Fund to supplement the shipowners' liability are all very innovative and praiseworthy measures.;Despite all this progress, the thesis contends that the international oil pollution liability regime is still far from perfect. The thesis identifies the liability limit, amendment procedure to increase the limit and environmental damage assessment as areas which need further improvements. To this end, the thesis takes up the American oil pollution liability regime as a case for comparative study and offers some tentative recommendations.