Reform of Australian Admiralty Jurisdiction

Abstract

This article coincides with the recent publication by the Law Reform Commission of proposed draft legislation on Australian civil admiralty jurisdiction, alongside draft uniform rules. A separate report on Civil Admiralty Jurisdiction was also underway at the time, as well as a further short report on Admiralty criminal jurisdiction and prize. In this paper, Crawford summarises the key features of the legislation and rules, which were intended to define clearly and exhaustively the cope of Australian Admiralty jurisdiction. This eventually culminated in the Admiralty Act 1988 (Cth).