The legal nature of carrier\u27s commercial obligations - the interpretation of the Article III, r 2 of the Hague-Visby Rules

Prema common law-u prijevoznik je prima facie dužan krcati, slagati i iskrcavati teret, ali je on ovlašten te svoje obveze prenijeti na drugu osobu. Odredba čl. III 2 Haško-Visbyskih pravila kojom se propisuje dužnost prijevoznika “uredno i brižljivo ukrcavati, rukovati, slagati, prevoziti, čuvati, brinuti se i iskrcavati robu” ne utvrđuje strogo osobnu, neprenosivu obvezu prijevoznika da izvrši navedene radnje već postavlja standard urednog i brižljivog postupanja koji je prijevoznik dužan poštovati ukoliko ugovorom uistinu preuzme obvezu izvođenja kargo operacija. Zbog toga se na ugovorne odredbe kojima se prijevoznik oslobađa odgovornosti za ukrcaj, slaganje i iskrcaj ne može primijeniti čl. III 8 Haško-Visbyskih pravila.Under the common law the duty to load, stow and discharge the cargo prima facie rested on carriers but it could be transferred to another entity. The article III, r 2 of the Hague-Visby Rules, proscribing that “…the carrier shall properly and carefully load, handle, stow, carry, keep, care for, and discharge the goods carried”, does not impose upon the carrier an inescapable personal obligation to perform the functions described therein, but defines the standard of proper and careful performance of those functions in case the carrier contractually undertakes to perform them. Thus, an agreement which transfers responsibility for loading, stowage and discharge from the carriers to shippers, charterers or consignees is not invalidated by art. III, r. 8