TONGA

SHIPPING (AMENDMENT) ACT 2002

No. 38 of 2002

I assent,

TAUFA'AHAU TUPOU IV,

17th March, 2004.

AN ACT

TO AMEND THE SHIPPING ACT (CAP. 136)

[25th November, 2002.]

BE IT ENACTED by the King and the Legislative Assembly of Tonga in the Legislature of the Kingdom as follows:

Short title and Commencement

1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Shipping (Amendment) Act, 2002.

(2) This Shipping Act (Cap. 136) as amended, is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

Power to deregister

2. The Principal Act is amended by inserting after section 10 the following new section:

"10A. (1) The Registrar shall require any owner, charterer, master or agent of a Tongan ship to sign a Declaration that the ship will not be used for any of the following activities:

(a) storage and transportation of illegal drugs;

(b) unlawful carriage of refugees;

(c) involvement in war or armed conflict between nations or parties;

(d) supporting civil unrest in any country or territory;

(e) terrorism; and

(f) any activity which would be contrary to the laws of Tonga or any international treaty to which Tonga is a signatory.

(2) The Registrar shall immediately deregister any ship which he has reasonable grounds to believe has breached the Declaration made under subsection (1)."

Passed in the Legislative Assembly this 25th day of November, 2002.

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