Belinda Bucknall QC


Deputy High Court Judge & Former Lloyds Arbitrator

Shipping

Belinda Bucknall QC has practiced as a barrister, arbitrator and CEDR accredited mediator for some 30 years as a member of Quadrant Chambers, mainly in the fields of shipping and international trade.

Key dates

  • Deputy Administrative Court judge: appointed 2011
  • Deputy Admiralty Court judge: appointed 1998
  • Recorder: 1997
  • Lloyds Arbitrator: 1994
  • Year of Silk: 1988
  • Year of Call: 1974

Expertise

Belinda has a well established and impressive track record acting for clients in a wide range of high value and complex disputes arising out of charterparties, maritime collisions, salvage and wreck removal operations, accidents causing serious personal injury and death, unsafe ports, fraudulent dealings with documents, damage to cargo, the construction, refitting, sale and purchase of yachts, commercial vessels and drilling rigs and yacht and commercial insurance policies.

She has also acted in several high profile public inquiries. She was counsel for the RNLI in the inquiry into the loss of the Penlee Lifeboat and for the insurers in the inquiry into the loss of the tall ship MARQUES. She represented the families of the crew in the first inquiry into the loss of the M.V. DERBYSHIRE and acted for the captain and first officer in the inquiry into the capsize of the HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE. Her work frequently involves complicated technical issues ranging from engineering defects to the causes of fires and explosions.

Belinda also sat as a Deputy High Court Judge in the Admiralty and Administrative Courts and is currently a panel member of the Falkland Islands Court of Appeal.

Belinda featured in the Top 100 Women in Shipping for 2019.

Belinda is convinced that the high and ever-increasing cost of court and arbitration proceedings, coupled with the frequently lengthy delays before a final solution is achieved, make Independent Evaluation a real and very attractive alternative to conventional dispute resolution procedures.

Notable cases

  • Represented the RNLI in the inquiry into the loss of the Penlee Lifeboat
  • Acted for the insurers in the inquiry into the loss of the tall ship MARQUES
  • Represented the families of the crew in the first inquiry into the loss of the M.V. DERBYSHIRE
  • Acted for the captain and first officer in the inquiry into the capsize of the HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE
  • Arbitrator in dispute arising out of construction of mega yacht costing in excess of €200 million
  • Numerous death and personal injury cases arising out of commercial and private shipboard accidents.

Memberships

  • Associate member of London Maritime Arbitrators’ Association
  • Via Chambers, member of London Shipping Law Centre

Quotes

    • “Belinda Bucknall is one of the most formidable Admiralty QC’s of her generation, as evidenced by the long and varied list of clients she has successfully represented in the most complex shipping and commercial cases over many years. Her court presence and ability to disarm, by clever cross examination, the most hostile of witnesses or experts are quite remarkable. She is equally effective sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge or arbitrator and, with her intimate knowledge of all aspects of the litigation process, it is difficult to find anyone better equipped to be an effective Independent Evaluator in matters relating to Shipping”.

Charles Hattersley

    • Partner

 

    Ashfords LLP