Cracking open the champagne for 100 years of Hague Rules
Peter LAURIJSSEN
Chief editor
It is said that there is always a reason to celebrate and that any reason to celebrate is a good one.
As to the centenary of the Hague Rules, celebrations could have started as early as 2021 since their text owes much to the rules that were adopted on 2 September 1921 at the 30th Conference of the International Law Association held in The Hague. Celebrations can obviously be held in 2024 since the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Bills of Lading, as the Hague Rules are officially named, was signed in Brussels on 25 August 1924.
However, whilst there are plenty of opportunities to crack open the champagne, one may ask oneself whether there is good reason to be cheerful.
