The Admiralty Court in the United Kingdom was a specialist court that had jurisdiction over maritime law and related matters. It was a division of the High Court of Justice and had the authority to hear cases involving shipping, marine insurance, and salvage, as well as other matters related to the sea.
In the 1990s, the Admiralty Court was abolished and its jurisdiction was transferred to the newly created Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court of Justice. The Queen’s Bench Division now has the authority to hear admiralty cases, as well as other types of cases, such as commercial disputes and personal injury claims.
Although the Admiralty Court no longer exists as a separate court, the UK still has a strong tradition of maritime law and continues to be a major center for shipping and maritime law. The UK is also a signatory to various international conventions on maritime law, such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which sets out the rights and responsibilities of states in their use of the world’s oceans