Derar Al-Daboubi*
Mohammad Aljarallah**
Mohammad Ashraf Khalid Al-Qheiwi***
The Legal Framework of the Negotiability of the Bill of Lading under Kuwaiti Maritime Law: A Comparative Study
Suggested citation:
Al-Daboubi, D., Aljarallah M., & Al-Qheiwi, M. A. K. (2025). The Legal Framework of the Negotiability of the Bill of Lading under Kuwaiti Maritime Law: A Comparative Study. Lex Portus, 11(5), 7–21. https://doi.org/10.62821/lp11501
Published online: 30.11.2025
*Assistant Professor of International Commercial and Maritime Law, Faculty of Business and Law, British University in Dubai (345015, Dubai International Academic City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
**Associate Professor in Private International Law, Department of International Law, College of Law, Kuwait University (8WV8+26F, Kuwait City, Kuwait)
***Associate Professor in Civil Law, Faculty of Law, Isra University (Queen Alia International Airport Road, south of Amman, Jordan)
ABSTRACT
This article makes a unique contribution to understanding the legal framework of the negotiability feature of the bill of lading. The importance of this study is underscored by the fact that such a nature has not been fully elucidated in the international conventions governing the use of the bill of lading in the context of the carriage of goods by sea. This lack of clarity has led to confusion regarding the legal nature of such negotiability. In particular, under Kuwaiti Law, the rules of the negotiability of Nominal Bills of Lading and Order Bills of Lading are not clearly defined. In response, this article critically analyses the perspectives of relevant laws (UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Jordan) and scholarship on the negotiability of a bill of lading. Doing so establishes this feature on solid legal grounds, from which an appropriate legal framework can be drawn to resolve disputes between the parties negotiating the bill of lading. Accordingly, the study proposes that the negotiability of a Nominal Bill of Lading should be regulated in accordance with the rules of assignment. In contrast, it is suggested that the negotiability of a bill of lading drafted to order should be determined by the general rules of subrogation, which define the implications of such negotiation for the holder in due course, whether against the indorser or the maritime carrier.
Keywords: bill of lading, assignment, negotiability, indorsement, subrogation, holder in due course
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