
Overview
Background
Professor Nick Gaskell has had over 45 years' experience as a research active academic and, since retiring as a full-time academic, is currently Emeritus Professor of Maritime and Commercial Law at the TC Beirne School of Law. Previously, he held the posts of Dean of Law and Head of School (Acting), Director of the Marine and Shipping Law Unit, and Director of Research. Prior to joining the School he held (from 1994) the titled position of "David Jackson Professor of Maritime and Commercial Law" at the School of Law of the University of Southampton, UK. From 2003-2007 he was Head of that School, and from 1996-1999 was Director of its Institute of Maritime Law.
He has lectured widely to the maritime professions and academic community all over the world, including Belgium, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Yugoslavia, UK. He first worked with the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand on courses in the 1980s and 1990s and continues to be an active member. He was a Visiting Law Lecturer at Monash University in 1984 and 1986. He has represented the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) at the International Maritime Organisation's Legal Committee, and at the meetings of the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds. He attended and participated in many IMO meetings and diplomatic conferences which produced international maritime law conventions, including the Salvage Convention 1989, the 1992 Protocol to the Civil Liability Convention for Oil Pollution Damage, the Hazardous and Noxious Substances Convention 1996, the Bunker Pollution Convention 2001, the Athens Convention on the Carriage of Passengers 2002, the liability Protocol to the Antarctic Convention, and the Wreck Removal Convention 2007.
Professor Gaskell has written books and articles on a wide range of maritime and related commercial law subjects. He has most recently co-authored a book on The Law of Wreck. His work on carriage of goods by sea (bills of lading) has been cited in courts internationally, including Australia (High Court, Federal Court, Supreme Court of Victoria), Hong Kong, Singapore (Court of Appeal), New Zealand (High Court) and the UK (including the House of Lords). He is a Titulary Member of the Comite Maritime International (CMI), and is an Academic associate of Quadrant Chambers (a leading set of maritime law chambers in London).
Availability
- Emeritus Professor Nick Gaskell is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Law, University of Hull
Research interests
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Maritime Law
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Commercial Law
-
International Trade Law
Research impacts
Professor Gaskell's research has been cited in courts in Australia and internationally.
As a member of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand he has provided detailed reform proposals (and consultation responses) to the Federal Governbment on maritime law issues such as wreck removal, carriage of goods by sea and the carriage of passengers by sea.
In 2024-2025 he has acted as an independent co-chair of a Federal Government Review into reform of the Shipping Registraoin Act 1982 and the Coastal Trading (Revitilisation of Asutralian Shipping) Act 2012.
Works
Search Professor Nick Gaskell’s works on UQ eSpace
2013
Conference Publication
Salvage, Towage, Intervention and Wreck: Conventions and Contracts
Nick Gaskell (2013). Salvage, Towage, Intervention and Wreck: Conventions and Contracts. Marine Casualty Workshop, Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Sydney, 25-26 June 2013.
2013
Journal Article
Sturley, M, Fujita, T, Van Der Ziel, J, The Rotterdam Rules, The UN Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea - Book Review
Gaskell, Nick (2013). Sturley, M, Fujita, T, Van Der Ziel, J, The Rotterdam Rules, The UN Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea - Book Review. Australian and New Zealand Maritime Law Journal, 27 (1), 42-46.
2012
Conference Publication
Force Majeure in Coal Contracts
Nick Gaskell (2012). Force Majeure in Coal Contracts. Marine & Shipping Law Unit, Brisbane, 8 June 2012.
2012
Conference Publication
Electronic Bills of Lading: Past Present and Future
Nick Gaskell (2012). Electronic Bills of Lading: Past Present and Future. Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand, Melbourne, 1 November 2012.
2012
Journal Article
The Law of Tug and Tow and Offshore Contracts (3rd 3e) 2011, by S. Rainey
Gaskell, Nick (2012). The Law of Tug and Tow and Offshore Contracts (3rd 3e) 2011, by S. Rainey. Journal of International Maritime Law, 322-323.
2012
Book Chapter
The Law of Tug and Tow and Offshore Contracts (3rd 3e) 2011, by S. Rainey
Gaskell, Nick (2012). The Law of Tug and Tow and Offshore Contracts (3rd 3e) 2011, by S. Rainey. Journal of International Maritime Law. (pp. 322-323) edited by D. R. Thomas. Witney, Oxon, United Kingdom: Lawtext Publishing.
2012
Book Chapter
Marine oil and gas pollution spills in Australian waters
Cogliati-Bantz, Vincent, Derrington, Sarah, Forrest, Craig, Gaskell, Nick and White, Michael (2012). Marine oil and gas pollution spills in Australian waters. The regulation of international shipping: international and comparative perspectives: essays in honor of Edgar Gold. (pp. 371-400) edited by Aldo Chircop, Norman Letalik, Ted L. McDorman and Susan J. Rolston. Leiden, Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. doi: 10.1163/9789004202443
2011
Book Chapter
Compensation for offshore pollution from ships: Problems and solutions
Gaskell, Nickolas (2011). Compensation for offshore pollution from ships: Problems and solutions. International commercial law, litigation and arbitration : Conference proceedings. (pp. 99-123) edited by K.E. Lindgren and N. Perram. Alexandria, N.S.W., Australia: Ross Parsons Centre for Commercial, Corporate and Taxation Law, University of Sydney.
2011
Conference Publication
Preliminary Act and Evidence in Collision Cases
Nick Gaskell (2011). Preliminary Act and Evidence in Collision Cases. Federal Court Judicial Education Day, Federal Court Melbourne, 25 August.
2011
Journal Article
Australia's offshore constitutional law: Time for revision?
White, Michael and Gaskell, Nick (2011). Australia's offshore constitutional law: Time for revision?. Australian Law Journal, 85 (8), 504-520.
2011
Conference Publication
Compensation for offshore pollution from ships: Problems and solutions
Gaskell, Nicholas (2011). Compensation for offshore pollution from ships: Problems and solutions. Conference on International Commercial Law, Litigation and Arbitration, Sydney , Australia, 5-7 May 2011. Sydney, Australia: Ross Parsons Centre of Commercial, Corporate and Taxation Law.
2011
Conference Publication
Rotterdam Rules: Choices for New Zealand
Nick Gaskell (2011). Rotterdam Rules: Choices for New Zealand. Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand, New Zealand - Taupo, 8 April.
2011
Conference Publication
Developments with Electronic Bills of Lading
Nick Gaskell (2011). Developments with Electronic Bills of Lading. Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand, Sydney, 11 March.
2010
Conference Publication
Seafarers' Rights: Claims and Enforcement
Nick Gaskell (2010). Seafarers' Rights: Claims and Enforcement. Nautical Institute, World Maritime Day, Blake Dawson, Brisbane, 6 October.
2009
Conference Publication
Bills of Lading in an Electronic Age
Nick Gaskell (2009). Bills of Lading in an Electronic Age. 11th Hasselby Colloquium, Seden, 2009.
2009
Conference Publication
Bunker Pollution Convention and Limitation
Nick Gaskell (2009). Bunker Pollution Convention and Limitation. 7th International Maritime Law Conference, Shanghai, China, 28 October.
2009
Conference Publication
The Rotterdam Rules: Issues for Australia
Nick Gaskell (2009). The Rotterdam Rules: Issues for Australia. Richard Cooper Memorial Lecture 2009, Federal Court, Brisbane, 28 October.
2008
Conference Publication
UNCITRAL Draft Convention 2008 and Transport Documents
Nick Gaskell (2008). UNCITRAL Draft Convention 2008 and Transport Documents. Pusan University, Korea, 2008.
2008
Conference Publication
UNCITRAL Draft Convention 2008 and Transport Documents
Nick Gaskell (2008). UNCITRAL Draft Convention 2008 and Transport Documents. Pusan University, Korea, 2008.
2008
Conference Publication
Breaking Limitation
Nick Gaskell (2008). Breaking Limitation. Korean Shipowners' Association, Seoul, Korea, 2008.
Supervision
Availability
- Emeritus Professor Nick Gaskell is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Completed supervision
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
The Adaptation of China's Maritime Arbitration System to International Legal Norms and Practice
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Craig Forrest
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2012
Doctor Philosophy
Addressing Inequality in Consumer Transactions
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Ross Grantham
Media
Enquiries
Contact Emeritus Professor Nick Gaskell directly for media enquiries about:
- Commercial law
- International Trade Law
- Marine and shipping law
- Maritime law
- ship wrecks
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