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MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT 1894 - SECT 463

Power to require from complainant security for costs.

463.(1) Whenever in any proceeding against any seaman ... belonging to any
ship for the offence of desertion, or absence without leave or for otherwise
being absent from his ship without leave, it is alleged by one-fourth, or if
their number exceeds twenty by not less than five, of the seamen belonging to
the ship, that the ship is by reason of unseaworthiness, overloading, improper
loading, defective equipment, or for any other reason, not in a fit condition
to proceed to sea, or that the accommodation in the ship is insufficient, the
court having cognisance of the case shall take such means as may be in their
power to satisfy themselves concerning the truth or untruth of the allegation,
and shall for that purpose receive the evidence of the persons making the
same, and may summon any other witnesses whose evidence they may think is
desirable to hear, and shall, if satisfied that the allegation is groundless,
adjudicate in the case, but if not so satisfied shall before adjudication
cause the ship to be surveyed.

(2) A seaman ... charged with desertion, or with quitting his ship without
leave, shall not have any right to apply for a survey under this section
unless he has before quitting his ship complained to the master of the
circumstances so alleged in justification.

(3) For the purposes of this section the court shall require any surveyor of
ships appointed under this Act, or any person appointed for the purpose by the
Board of Trade, or, if such a surveyor or person cannot be obtained without
unreasonable expense or delay, or is not, in the opinion of the court,
competent to deal with the special circumstances of the case, then any other
impartial surveyor appointed by the court, and having no interest in the ship,
her freight, or cargo, to survey the ship, and to answer any question
concerning her which the court think fit to put.

(4) Such surveyor or other person shall survey the ship, and make his written
report to the court, including an answer to every question put to him by the
court, and the court shall cause the report to be communicated to the parties,
and, unless the opinions expressed in the report are proved to the
satisfaction of the court to be erroneous, shall determine the questions
before them in accordance with those opinions.

(5) Any person making a survey under this section shall for the purposes
thereof have all the powers of a Board of Trade inspector [under section 27 of
the Merchant Shipping Act 1979].

(6) The costs (if any) of the survey shall be determined by the Board of Trade
according to a scale of fees to be fixed by them, and shall be paid in the
first instance out of the Mercantile Marine Fund.

(7) If it is proved that the ship is in a fit condition to proceed to sea, or
that the accommodation is sufficient, as the case may be, the costs of the
survey shall be paid by the person upon whose demand or in consequence of
whose allegation the survey was made, and may be deducted by the master or
owner out of the wages due or to become due to that person, and shall be paid
over to the Board of Trade.

(8) If it is proved that the ship is not in a fit condition to proceed to sea,
or that the accommodation is insufficient, as the case may be, the master or
owner of the ship shall pay the costs of the survey to the Board of Trade, and
shall be liable to pay to the seaman ..., who has been detained in consequence
of the said proceeding before the court under this section, such compensation
for his detention as the court may award.

Survey of ships alleged by seamen to be unseaworthy.

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