In February 2019, the Supreme Court of Appeal held that a claimant is not entitled to arrest a ship sold to a third party, even if the claimant issued a summons before the sale took place. The judgment has resolved a 30 year debate in South African maritime legal circles. It brings considerable relief to ship purchasers who find it difficult to determine, when purchasing a ship, whether proceedings have been commenced against the ship in any of the 100 or so maritime jurisdictions around the...