Interlegal lawyers succeed in combatting ecological inspectors

The Client, large shipowner, applied to Interlegal for legal assistance in combatting unlawful actions of ecological inspectors at the Yuzhnyi Sea Port.

According to the poor practice, upon completion of loading the vessel, ecological inspectors attempted to come on board and to take samples in ballast tanks, with reference to alleged information about the waters of unknown origin in cargo hold. The Vessel Master prevented lawfully ecological inspectors to come on board for ballast water sampling.

So ecological inspectors served to the Master the decision on prohibiting the Vessel to leave the Yuzhnyi Sea Port unless the inspection is complete, which threatened essential idle stay for the Client.

Due to their experience in combatting abuse of ecological inspectors’ powers, Interlegal lawyers drafted promptly the maritime protest, with detailed justifying absence of grounds for inspection, breach of the current procedure of holding inspections by ecological inspectors and option for further damage recovery for the Vessel idle stay.

Due to Interlegal prompt actions, the Vessel left the sea port in due time, without initiating court proceedings. Interlegal lawyer Igor Derus, junior lawyer Taras Dragan, under the general supervision of associate attorney Vitalii Tolstik, led the case.