Book Review
International Maritime Law and Practice:
Comparative Law in Context
Časlav PEJOVIĆ
Informa Law from Routledge
(Oxford/New York 2025)
Reviewed by Marko PAVLIHA[1]
It is my great privilege and pleasure to warmly recommend Professor Časlav Pejović’s new book, International Maritime Law and Practice – Comparative Law in Context, published recently by Informa Law from Routledge. This comprehensive monograph is the culmination of over 25 years of the author’s experience teaching International Maritime Law in the LLM program at the Faculty of Law, Kyushu University, Japan. It is intended for a broad readership, including legal professionals in shipping companies and law firms, international shipping organizations, traders, maritime officers (such as shipmasters), as well as scholars and students of maritime law.
Professor Pejović is a widely recognized expert in the international maritime law community and currently holds the title of Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Law, Kyushu University. He earned his law degree (BA) from the University of Montenegro, holds LL.M. degrees from the University of Belgrade (Serbia) and Kyoto University (Japan), and obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Zagreb (Croatia). His academic and research interests span maritime law, comparative law, transnational commercial law, international business law, foreign investment law, and corporate governance. He is an active member of several international academic and professional associations, including the International Academy of Comparative Law (IACL), the International Academy of Commercial and Consumer Law (IACCL), and the Japanese Association of Maritime Law. He is also an honorary member of the Croatian Maritime Law Association.
Professor Pejović is the co-editor (with Gerald McAlinn) of Law and Development in Asia (Routledge, 2012), and the author of several books, including Transport Documents: International Law and Practice (Informa Law, 2020), as well as the volume under review. His articles have been published in leading international journals, with some translated into other languages. He has served as an arbitrator at the Thai Arbitration Institute (TAI), the Tokyo Maritime Arbitration Commission (TOMAC), and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Arbitration.
In his latest book, Professor Pejović adopts a distinctive and engaging approach to maritime law – one reminiscent of the late, legendary Professor William Tetley (1927–2014) of McGill University, Faculty of Law in Montreal (Canada) – by integrating its historical foundations with comparative legal analysis. Each chapter begins by tracing the historical development of the concept in question before analyzing its contemporary application across jurisdictions. The comparative dimension is robust, covering major legal systems – primarily English law – while also incorporating legislation and case law from various jurisdictions such as the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, China, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, the European Union, Greece, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. This approach effectively highlights broader distinctions between common law and civil law traditions. In addition, all relevant international maritime conventions are duly considered.
The book is organized into 15 thematic chapters across 594 pages, each addressing a core area of maritime law: Introduction and History, Legal Status of the Ship, Shipbuilding Contracts, Ship Sale Contracts, Ship Mortgages and Maritime Liens, Judicial Sale, Arrest of the Ship, Carriage of Goods by Sea, Charterparties, Carriage of Passengers, Maritime Collision, Oil Pollution, Salvage, Limitation of Shipowner’s Liability, and Marine Insurance. Additional sections include a Preface, List of Abbreviations, Table of Cases, Table of Legislation, Bibliography, and Index.
Is there anything to criticize about the book, aside from the fact that it is physically quite heavy J – and might benefit from being split into two volumes? Not really. However, the author might consider two enhancements for a potential second edition and future updates. First, in addition to the bibliography of cited books (pages 577–581), it would be helpful to include a list of journal articles and papers referenced in the text. Second, it would be valuable to highlight key authorities (e.g., scholars and practitioners) and their contributions from all jurisdictions discussed – such as Slovenia – providing readers with additional context and avenues for further research.
In conclusion, I fully endorse the assessment of our distinguished Italian colleague, Professor Massimiliano Musi of the University of Bologna, who noted somewhere that this book stands out for its clarity of presentation, systematic rigor, and depth of argumentation. It makes a significant contribution to scholarly discourse in the field. The comparative perspective, employed with great effectiveness to illuminate both similarities and differences between legal systems, provides the reader with an almost holistic understanding of contemporary lex maritima. As such, it is exceptionally well-suited for academic training and, perhaps even more importantly, serves as an invaluable resource for professionals navigating the ever-evolving landscape of maritime regulation and jurisprudence.
[1] D.C.L. (McGill), Dr. h.c. (IMLI), Professor of Commercial, Transport and Insurance Law, Head of Law Department, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Maritime Studies and Transportation, Slovenia; Visiting Fellow and Governor, IMO IMLI, Malta.
