2.1 Introduction

Court decisions in England in the field of dry shipping law over the past few years bring to mind the ‘bus’ analogy – you wait ages with nothing much happening and then a whole convoy comes along. Certainly, it has recently been a stimulating and challenging time for commercial shipping lawyers in England and Wales, with high-profile decisions, going to the heart of some of the key questions with which we have been grappling for many years, rolling down from the Commercial Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court like manna from on high (or poisoned chalices, depending on your perspective!).