ANGOLA Law and Practice Contributed by: José Miguel Oliveira, Sara Alves Lourenço, Caio de Mello Ferreira and João Saiago Canjeque, VdA
claims is three years. Statutes of limitations can - not be extended, but they can be suspended (Articles 318 to 322 of the Civil Code) or inter - rupted (Articles 323 to 327, also of the Civil Code) under specific circumstances (eg, execu - tion of an arbitration agreement, and recognition of the debt). Still, in this particular case it must be noted that Article 3(6) of the Hague Rules establish - es that the carrier and the ship-owner shall be discharged from all liability in respect of loss or damage unless suit is brought within one year after delivery of the goods or the date when the goods should have been delivered, this being the time bar to be considered in this particular case. 4. Maritime Liens and Ship Arrests 4.1 Ship Arrests The International Convention Relating to the Arrest of Sea-Going Ships 1952 (the “Brussels Convention”) is applicable in Angola. Outside its scope, the claimant must make use of the provi - sions of Angola’s Civil Procedure Code. 4.2 Maritime Liens Maritime liens are recognised in Article 578 of the Commercial Code, which specifies the fol - lowing categories of claims: 1. court costs incurred in the common interest of the creditors; 2. remuneration for salvage; 3. pilotage and towage expenses; 4. tonnage, lights, anchorage, public health and other harbour dues; 5. expenses incurred in connection with a ves - sel’s maintenance and storage of her appur - tenances;
6. Master and crew wages; 7. costs incurred in connection with the repair of the vessel, her appurtenances and equip - ment; 8. reimbursement of the price of the cargo that the Master was forced to sell; 9. insurance premiums; 10. any unpaid portion of the price due in con - nection with the purchase of a vessel; 11. costs incurred in connection with the repair of the vessel, her appurtenances and equip - ment accruing during the last three years; 12. unpaid amounts arising from shipbuilding contracts; 13. outstanding insurance premiums over the vessel, if insurance coverage was taken in total, or over the covered part of her appur - tenances not mentioned in (11); and 14. sums due to shippers in respect of loss or damage to cargo. Liens mentioned in points (1) to (9) are under - stood to refer to those incurred during, and as a cause of, the last voyage. Indemnities for injuries of crew are foreseen in Article 529 of the Commercial Code and, pro - vided the conditions set out therein are met, are recognised as maritime liens in (2) and (6). Maritime claims are those set forth in Article 1(1) of the Brussels Convention, including liabilities resulting from contracts for chartering a vessel, and in respect of which a vessel may be arrested under the terms of the Convention. 4.3 Liability in Personam for Owners or Demise Charterers It is not required for the owner to be liable in per - sona for arrest of a vessel to be accepted. Pur - suant to Article 3(4) of the Brussels Convention, if the charterer (and not the registered owner) is
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