Malta ‘stood’ up to the Cruise Industry

Jim Walker, an internationally known maritime lawyer and cruise safety advocate, has prised Malta for “standing up to the cruise industry”. Jim Walker has been involved in cruise ship law and maritime litigation since 1983.  Based in Miami, Florida, Jim is one of the most widely respected maritime lawyers in the U.S.

Jim Walker has praised Malta following Sunday’s tragedy onboard the Malta-registered Thomson Majesty and he stated that Malta had shown “professionalism and integrity in enforcing International Maritime Organisation regulations” since the accident.

On Sunday the 10th of February around noon, eight crew members had been carrying out safety checks on a lifeboat when one of the cables holding it snapped causing it to fall vertically into the sea trapping them beneath its upturned hull. This accident left five crew members dead and three injured during a routine lifeboat drill.

The Thomson Majesty was given permission to depart at 3pm on Monday the 11th of February, however, the ship was delayed further pending safety approval from the flag State (Malta) because it was short of one lifeboat.

Malta’s flag is the second largest in Europe and the eighth largest in the world.

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