Contract—Repudiation—Anticipatory breach

Queen’s Bench Division, Commercial Court, Popplewell J, 28 Mar 2014

There is no principle of law whereby a party who has made his performance dependent on a discretion to be exercised by a third party is ipso facto deemed to be evincing an intention not to perform.

Charles Kimmins QC and Thomas Corby (instructed by Lax & Co) for the charterparty. Timothy Hill QC and Jeremy Lightfoot (instructed by Ince & Co) for the owners.

In July 2010 the parties entered into a time charterparty on an amended NYPE form for about 35 to 37 months. The vessel was still under construction at the time. Clause 8 provided in the usual way that the captain was to be under the orders and directions of the charterers. The charter also contained a Conwartime 2004 clause on an amended BIMCO piracy clause. The amendments deleted paras (a) and (b) so as to enable