In a judgment delivered on 14 February 2025 by the First Hall, Civil Court (the “Court”) in the case of Captain Tara Merlin Ehrlich vs MV Force India, the Court examined the interplay between maritime employment rights and the legal framework for enforcing such claims under Maltese law. The crux of the dispute related to allegations of unpaid wages and other expenses allegedly owed to Captain Tara Merlin Ehrlich (the “Captain”) employed aboard the Maltese-flagged vessel Force India (the “Vessel”). This case not only highlights the protections available to seafarers under the Code of Organization and Civil Procedure (COCP), Chapter 12 of the Laws of Malta (the “COCP”), and the Merchant Shipping Act, Chapter 234 of the Laws of Malta (THE “Merchant Shipping Act”), but also provides insight into the evidentiary standards required for successfully pursuing such a claim in the Maltese courts.
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