Also known as: maritime · admiralty
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
An adjective describing matters of or relating to ships or shipping, carriage by sea, or navigation.
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Nolan Nunez sued a carrier after his cargo of electronics was damaged during a transatlantic voyage on a vessel owned by Neptune Energy. The federal court exercised jurisdiction because the claim arose from a nautical incident on navigable waters. The case proceeded under Article III authority for admiralty matters.
Nova Pharmaceuticals brought a claim against a shipping company for contaminated medical supplies lost at sea. The district court applied the Federal Rules of Evidence to the nautical dispute because the proceeding qualified as an admiralty case. Testimony about the vessel's condition was admitted under those rules.
Nestor Navarro contracted with a foreign towing firm to move an offshore platform using a vessel under a clause selecting English courts. After a collision at sea, Navarro sued in Florida. The court enforced the clause because the agreement concerned a nautical service on the high seas.
Natalie Norris purchased a yacht whose engine failed during a coastal delivery, causing the boat to sink. She sued the manufacturer in tort. The court held that the economic loss rule barred recovery because the claim involved a nautical product under maritime law.
Naomi Norton booked a cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines and was injured when the ship encountered rough seas. The ticket contained a forum selection clause requiring suit in Florida. The Supreme Court upheld the clause as reasonable for a nautical passenger contract.
Nigel Nelson owned a fishing vessel damaged by the Exxon Valdez spill. He sought punitive damages against the tanker owner. The Court limited the award to a one-to-one ratio with compensatory damages in the nautical pollution case.
No. Admiralty jurisdiction covers all cases of a maritime nature, and the adjective nautical simply identifies the sea-related character of the underlying facts without narrowing the constitutional grant.
The rules apply to any civil proceeding that qualifies as admiralty or maritime, including those involving ships, navigation, or carriage by sea.
…253, 257 (D. Douglas ed. 1955). A decade before the Revolution, England gave jurisdiction over Stamp Act offenses to the admiralty courts, which followed civil-law rather than common-law procedures and thus routinely took testimony by deposition or private judicial examination. See 5 Geo. 3, c. 12, § 57 (1765);…