TFL Vsebine / Revija Pravnik

5

Cilj predpisov mednarodnih pomorskih konvencij je ustvariti pravično ravnotežje med prevoznikovimi interesi in interesi lastnikov tovora z opredelitvijo režima prevozniške odgovornosti. V bistvu režima prevozniške odgovornosti je temelj prevoznikove odgovornosti in porazdelitev dokaznega bremena. Člen 4 Hamburških pravil določa odgovornost prevoznika za izgubo ali poškodbo blaga ter zamudo pri dostavi. Hamburška pravila so temeljito spremenila osnovna pravila o porazdelitvi tveganj med lastnike tovora in prevoznike, določena z Bruseljsko konvencijo o poenotenju nekaterih pravil o nakladnici iz leta 1924 (znana tudi kot Haaška pravila), Haaška pravila, spremenjena z Visbijskim protokolom iz leta 1968 in protokolom SDR iz leta 1979 (Haaško-visbyjska pravila). Tako so na primer odpravila tradicionalno razbremenitev za navtične napake in napake pri upravljanju ladje in spremenila način uveljavljanja izjeme požara. Vendar sistem domnevne krivde ostaja edina osnova prevozniške odgovornosti v skladu s 5. členom Konvencije. Ukinila je katalog razbremenitev po drugem odstavku IV. člena Haaško-visbijskih pravil. S tem je režim prevozniške odgovornosti spremenil iz »nepopolnega sistema krivdne odgovornosti« v »popoln sistem krivdne odgovornosti«. Avtor analizira temelj prevozniške odgovornosti in dokazno breme, kot sta bila spremenjena s Hamburškimi pravili.

The objective of statutory regulations in international maritime conventions is to create a fair balance between carrier’s and cargo interest by defining the carrier’s liability regime. At the core of the carrier’s liability regime is the basis of carrier’s liability and the allocation of burden (onus) of proof. Article 4 of the Hamburg Rules provides the carrier liability for the loss or of damage to the goods as well as the delay in delivery. The Hamburg Rules make fundamental changes to the basic rules on allocation of risks between cargo owners and carriers provided by the Brussels Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law Relating to Bills of Lading, 1924 (also known as the Hague Rules), the Hague rules amended with the 1968 Visby Protocol and the SDR protocol of 1979 (the Hague-Visby Rules). For instance, it has abolished the traditional exoneration for nautical fault and fault in the management of ship and changed the way exemption of fire is invoked. Yet, the system of the presumed fault has remained the single basis of carrier’s liability under its Article 5. It has abolished the catalogue of exonerations under Article IV (2) of the Hague-Visby Rules. By so doing, it changed the system of carrier’s liability from “incomplete fault liability system” to “complete fault liability system”. The article analyses the basis of liability of a sea carrier and the burden of proof as modified under the Hamburg Rules.

Basis of Carrier’s Liability and Burden of Proof Under the International Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea (1978) (The Hamburg Rules)