Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Air Carriage of Nuclear Materials and Compensation of Third Parties

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

K Pourmikaeil
M Sadeghi

Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, University of Tehran-Tehran – Iran

Abstract
International treaties governing to compensation of third parties for aircraft operation, including the Montreal protocol of 1978 and the Montreal conventions of 2009 has not identified any responsibility for the aircraft operator in relation nuclear damages occurring during the carriage of aircraft and referred it to the Paris treaty 1960 and Vienna convention 1963. The question raised by examining of these documents is that who is responsible for compensation of nuclear damage during air transport? In this paper we first study obstacles created in international sources of aviation responsibility governing airspace and then analyze the reason of these exceptional rules. The result of this article is that with the accession of Iran to the Vienna convention, the operator of installation will be solely responsible for the compensation of damage created during air transportation, but this will not preclude the primary or even ultimate responsibility of aircraft operator.

Highlights

[1] Convention on the Liability of Operators of Nuclear Ships, Article II (1).

 [2] Convention Relating to Civil Liability in the Field of Maritime Carriage of Nuclear Material, Concluded at Brussels on 17 December 1971, Article 1 (a).

 [3] International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 2010, Article 7 (1, 2 (d)).

 [4] Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, 1963, Article II (5).

 [5]http://www.icao.int/secretariat/legal/List%20of%20parties/Rome1952_EN.pdf.

 [6] Convention on Damage Caused by Foreign Aircraft to Third Parties on the Surface, Signed at Rome on 7 October 1952, Article 1 (1).

 [7] Ibid, Article 2 (2 (a)).

 [8] Ibid, Article 2 (3).

 [9] Ibid, Article 11 (1).

 [10] Ibid, Article 10.

 [11] Edwin O. Bailey, Air Carrier Liability for Nuclear Damage, 34 J. Air L. & Com. 524 (1968), p. 537.

 [12] Protocol to Amend the Convention on Damage by Foreign Aircraft to Third Parties on the Surface signed at Rome on 7 October 1952 (Montreal Protocol 1978), Article III.

 [13] Ibid, Article XIV.

 [14] Civil Aviation Law, Royal Decree No. M/44, 18 Rajab 1426H/ 23 August 2005, Article 141 (1, 2 (e)).

 [15] Convention on Compensation for Damage Caused by Aircraft to Third Parties, Adopted in Montreal, Canada on 2 May 2009 (hereinafter GRC).

 [16] Convention on Compensation for Damage to Third Parties, Resulting from Acts of Unlawful Interference Involving Aircraft, Adopted in Montreal, Canada on 2 May 2009 (hereinafter UIC).

 [17] GRC, Article 3 (1); UIC, Article 3 (1).

 [18] GRC, Article 3 (2, 8); UIC, Article 23 (3).

 [19] GRC, Article 4 (1); UIC, Article 4 (1).

 [20] GRC, Article 9; UIC, Article 7.

 [21] UIC, Article 8, 18.

 [22] GRC, Article 1 (c), UIC, Article 1 (c).

 [23] GRC, Article 4 (3 (a), (b)).

 [24] GRC, Article 4 (1 (a), (j)).

 [25] UIC, Article 4 (1).

 [26] UIC, Article 18 (1).

 [27] GRC, Article 3 (6), UIC, Article 3 (6).

 [28] جباری، منصور، حقوق هوایی از منظر حقوق داخلی و بین الملل، موسسه مطالعات و پژوهش های حقوقی شهر دانش، چاپ اول، 1393، ص. 357. 

 [29] Fujita, Katsutoshi, Some Considerations for the Modernization of the Rome Convention, in case of Unlawful Interference, [an unknown journal], p. 126, 127.

 [30] Nuclear Liability for Transport, Fact Sheet, World Nuclear Transport Institute, p. 5.

 [31] Ibid.

 [32] Vienna Convention, Preamble.

 [33] Vienna Convention, Article V (1).

 [34] Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, 1997, Article 7 (1 (a)).

 [35] Nuclear Liability Act, Enacted by Act No. 2094, Jan. 24, 1969, last amendment by Act No. 13075, Jan. 20, 2015, Entered into force Jan. 20, 2015, Article 3-2 (1).

 [36] Federal Decree Law No. 4 of 2012, Issued on 13/08/2012 AD, Corresponding to 25 Ramadan 1433 AH, On the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, Article 5 (1).

 [37] Act on Liability for Nuclear Damage, Published in the Official Gazatte of the Republic of Slovenia, Article 4 (1, 2).

 [38] Vienna Convention, Article IV (1);

 [39] Vienna Convention, Article XIII; Law on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage of Romania, Article 2.

 [40] Vienna Convention, Article IV (2), (3 (a), (b)).

 [41] Vienna Convention, Article II;

 [42] Vienna Convention, Article XI.

[43] Vienna Convention, Article I (k (i), (ii)); Protocol to Amend Vienna Convention, Article 2 (2 (k (i), (ii), (iii)).  

 [44] Vienna Convention, Article VII.

 [45] Ha Vinh Phuong, Legal Aspects of the International Transport of Radioactive Materials, IAEA Bulletin, Vol. 21, No. 6, p. 15.

 [46] Nuclear Liability Act, supra note 35, Article 3 (2).

 [47] Liability and Compensation for Nuclear Damage, an International Overview, Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, Nuclear Energy Agency, 1994, p. 24.

 [48] Supra note 11, p. 543.

 [49] Jialing Shan, Aviation Insurance under the Modernization of Rome Convention 1952, Faculty of Law, Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University, 2009, p. 22.

 [50] ICAO Working Paper, Legal Committee, 33RD Session, LC/33-WP/3-9, 9/4/08, at A-6.

 [51] Rome Convention of 1952, Article 12 (1).

 [52] Vienna Convention, Article IV (7 (a)), X (b).

 [53] Vienna Convention, Article X (a).

 [54] Supra note 11, p. 542.

 [55] Ibid.

 [56] Ibid.

 [57] به نقل از یزدانیان، علیرضا، حبیبیان، هدیه، مسئول جبران خسارت ناشی از حوادث هسته­ای در کنوانسیون­های بین­المللی و حقوق ایران، فصلنامه تحقیقات حقوقی آزاد، دوره 4، شماره 14، زمستان 1390، ص. 252-217. [58] Atomic Liability Act of 1999.

Keywords

Aircraft Operator
Nuclear Facility Operator
Nuclear Damage
Liability
Vienna Convention
[1] Convention on the Liability of Operators of Nuclear Ships, Article II (1).
 [2] Convention Relating to Civil Liability in the Field of Maritime Carriage of Nuclear Material, Concluded at Brussels on 17 December 1971, Article 1 (a).
 [3] International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 2010, Article 7 (1, 2 (d)).
 [4] Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, 1963, Article II (5).
 [5]http://www.icao.int/secretariat/legal/List%20of%20parties/Rome1952_EN.pdf.
 [6] Convention on Damage Caused by Foreign Aircraft to Third Parties on the Surface, Signed at Rome on 7 October 1952, Article 1 (1).
 [7] Ibid, Article 2 (2 (a)).
 [8] Ibid, Article 2 (3).
 [9] Ibid, Article 11 (1).
 [10] Ibid, Article 10.
 [11] Edwin O. Bailey, Air Carrier Liability for Nuclear Damage, 34 J. Air L. & Com. 524 (1968), p. 537.
 [12] Protocol to Amend the Convention on Damage by Foreign Aircraft to Third Parties on the Surface signed at Rome on 7 October 1952 (Montreal Protocol 1978), Article III.
 [13] Ibid, Article XIV.
 [14] Civil Aviation Law, Royal Decree No. M/44, 18 Rajab 1426H/ 23 August 2005, Article 141 (1, 2 (e)).
 [15] Convention on Compensation for Damage Caused by Aircraft to Third Parties, Adopted in Montreal, Canada on 2 May 2009 (hereinafter GRC).
 [16] Convention on Compensation for Damage to Third Parties, Resulting from Acts of Unlawful Interference Involving Aircraft, Adopted in Montreal, Canada on 2 May 2009 (hereinafter UIC).
 [17] GRC, Article 3 (1); UIC, Article 3 (1).
 [18] GRC, Article 3 (2, 8); UIC, Article 23 (3).
 [19] GRC, Article 4 (1); UIC, Article 4 (1).
 [20] GRC, Article 9; UIC, Article 7.
 [21] UIC, Article 8, 18.
 [22] GRC, Article 1 (c), UIC, Article 1 (c).
 [23] GRC, Article 4 (3 (a), (b)).
 [24] GRC, Article 4 (1 (a), (j)).
 [25] UIC, Article 4 (1).
 [26] UIC, Article 18 (1).
 [27] GRC, Article 3 (6), UIC, Article 3 (6).
 [28] جباری، منصور، حقوق هوایی از منظر حقوق داخلی و بین الملل، موسسه مطالعات و پژوهش های حقوقی شهر دانش، چاپ اول، 1393، ص. 357. 
 [29] Fujita, Katsutoshi, Some Considerations for the Modernization of the Rome Convention, in case of Unlawful Interference, [an unknown journal], p. 126, 127.
 [30] Nuclear Liability for Transport, Fact Sheet, World Nuclear Transport Institute, p. 5.
 [31] Ibid.
 [32] Vienna Convention, Preamble.
 [33] Vienna Convention, Article V (1).
 [34] Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, 1997, Article 7 (1 (a)).
 [35] Nuclear Liability Act, Enacted by Act No. 2094, Jan. 24, 1969, last amendment by Act No. 13075, Jan. 20, 2015, Entered into force Jan. 20, 2015, Article 3-2 (1).
 [36] Federal Decree Law No. 4 of 2012, Issued on 13/08/2012 AD, Corresponding to 25 Ramadan 1433 AH, On the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, Article 5 (1).
 [37] Act on Liability for Nuclear Damage, Published in the Official Gazatte of the Republic of Slovenia, Article 4 (1, 2).
 [38] Vienna Convention, Article IV (1);
 [39] Vienna Convention, Article XIII; Law on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage of Romania, Article 2.
 [40] Vienna Convention, Article IV (2), (3 (a), (b)).
 [41] Vienna Convention, Article II;
 [42] Vienna Convention, Article XI.
[43] Vienna Convention, Article I (k (i), (ii)); Protocol to Amend Vienna Convention, Article 2 (2 (k (i), (ii), (iii)).  
 [44] Vienna Convention, Article VII.
 [45] Ha Vinh Phuong, Legal Aspects of the International Transport of Radioactive Materials, IAEA Bulletin, Vol. 21, No. 6, p. 15.
 [46] Nuclear Liability Act, supra note 35, Article 3 (2).
 [47] Liability and Compensation for Nuclear Damage, an International Overview, Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, Nuclear Energy Agency, 1994, p. 24.
 [48] Supra note 11, p. 543.
 [49] Jialing Shan, Aviation Insurance under the Modernization of Rome Convention 1952, Faculty of Law, Institute of Air and Space Law, McGill University, 2009, p. 22.
 [50] ICAO Working Paper, Legal Committee, 33RD Session, LC/33-WP/3-9, 9/4/08, at A-6.
 [51] Rome Convention of 1952, Article 12 (1).
 [52] Vienna Convention, Article IV (7 (a)), X (b).
 [53] Vienna Convention, Article X (a).
 [54] Supra note 11, p. 542.
 [55] Ibid.
 [56] Ibid.
 [57] به نقل از یزدانیان، علیرضا، حبیبیان، هدیه، مسئول جبران خسارت ناشی از حوادث هسته­ای در کنوانسیون­های بین­المللی و حقوق ایران، فصلنامه تحقیقات حقوقی آزاد، دوره 4، شماره 14، زمستان 1390، ص. 252-217. [58] Atomic Liability Act of 1999.

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