
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
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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
2001
Conference Publication
Charterers' Liability and Damage to the Vessel
Nick Gaskell (2001). Charterers' Liability and Damage to the Vessel. 9th Hasselby Colloquium, Stockholm, Sweden, 2001.
2001
Journal Article
Transport documents and the CMI draft outline instrument 2000
Gaskell, Nick (2001). Transport documents and the CMI draft outline instrument 2000. Diritto Marittimo, 103, 573-595.
2001
Conference Publication
Bills of Lading and Waybills Problems & Solutions and Transport Documents
Nick Gaskell (2001). Bills of Lading and Waybills Problems & Solutions and Transport Documents. The Discipline of Carriage of Goods Present and Future, University of Genoa, 2001.
2001
Conference Publication
Bunker Pollution Convention 2001
Nick Gaskell (2001). Bunker Pollution Convention 2001. IML & BMLA, London, United Kingdom, 2001.
2000
Conference Publication
Decision Making in the Legal Committee of the IMO - Legislative Approaches to Maritime Law
Nick Gaskell (2000). Decision Making in the Legal Committee of the IMO - Legislative Approaches to Maritime Law. European Colloquium on Maritime Law Research, Oslo, Norway, 2000.
2000
Book
The Law Relating to Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
Nick Gaskell and E Brown (2000). The Law Relating to Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. 1st ed. Aus: Society for Underwater Technology.
2000
Book
The Law Relating to Autonomous Underwater Vehicles: Questions and Answers
Nick Gaskell and E Brown (2000). The Law Relating to Autonomous Underwater Vehicles: Questions and Answers. 1st ed. Aus: Society for Underwater Technology.
2000
Book Chapter
Pollution Limitation and Carriage in the Aegean Sea
Nick Gaskell (2000). Pollution Limitation and Carriage in the Aegean Sea. Lex Mercatoria: Essays on International Commercial Law in Honour of Francis Reynolds. (pp. 71-103) edited by Francis D. Rose. TBA: LLP.
2000
Conference Publication
Where Does the Law of Salvage Come From?
Nick Gaskell (2000). Where Does the Law of Salvage Come From?. International Marine Salvage Seminar 2000, London, United Kingdom, 2000.
2000
Book
Bills of Lading: Law and Contracts
Nick Gaskell, Regina Asariotis and Yvonne Baatz (2000). Bills of Lading: Law and Contracts. 1st ed. Aus: LLP.
1998
Book Chapter
Limitation of Liability and Division of Loss
Nick Gaskell (1998). Limitation of Liability and Division of Loss. Marsden on Collisions at Sea. (pp. 828-864) edited by Simon Gault. United States: Sweet & Maxwell.
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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