Exhibit shows that the name of the Third Party is not mentioned anywhere on
the Policy as the Insured, beneficiary, or even loss payee in the event of a loss
and there is no contractual nexus between the Third Party and Threeways
Shipping in the Insurance contract that would form the basis of a claim by the
Third Party.
On the question of the term “robbery” as opposed to the term “theft” counsel
submitted that the contract being construed is a business contract must be
construed in a commercial sense. Counsel contended that it cannot by any
stretch of imagination be said that when the parties wrote to the agreement,
they envisaged a scenario where in the event of loss they would have to be
bogged down by the finer distinctions of Criminal Law as to what constitutes
Robbery and what constitutes Theft.
The most important aspect and what the parties were looking at, is that goods
could be stolen and what would happen if the same were stolen. In both Theft
and Robbery, the central point is that the owner of the goods is deprived of
the ownership of those goods, irrespective of the manner of the taking. This
was done in this case. The owner of the goods was deprived permanently of
the goods. Counsel submitted that bring about the finer distinction between
"Theft" and "Robbery", is a conclusion that flouts business common sense and
should be rejected. He prayed that the court finds the third party liable to
indemnify the Defendant.
Judgement on the question of indemnity by the Third Party
I have carefully considered the lengthy submissions of the third party and the
defendant. The dispute revolves around interpretation of clause 6 in the
agreement dated 29th of October 2004 and exhibited as exhibit D1. There are
two main grounds of contention. The first is that clause 6.1 does not include
robbery, among the grounds upon which the third-party is liable to indemnify
the defendant in the event that it was the cause for the loss of cargo. Secondly,
the defendant contends that the third party is in breach of contract for not
taking out a full insurance coverage for the goods. On the other hand and in
the alternative the third-party submits that if it is to be held liable at all, it's
liability is limited to a sum of United States dollars 55,000. I will first set out
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