Trends in ship arrest. Case study – Lithuania

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to introduce one of the international ship arrest problems, ship arrest trends and compare these trends with the current ship arrest regime in Lithuania. The research shows that the present international regime is suitable for the current fast-changing society and a new convention should be drafted. The modern view of a ship arrest regime seems to be arrest-friendly since more and more various jurisdictions introduce presumptions or abolish strict requirements to make it easier for the creditor to arrest the vessel. The conclusion is that some changes should be made in Lithuania by introducing separate ship arrest rules in the Civil Procedure Code, which will eliminate uncommon and unnecessary restraints. The article will be useful to anyone interested in maritime law, i.e. lawyers, judges and law students.