Admiralty

The Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit decided fourteen admiralty cases with written opinions in 2000. These cases can generally be divided into three broad categories: (1) cases involving the interpretation of federal statutes such as The Americans with Disabilities Act, ("ADA"), the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act ("FSIA"), the Suits in Admiralty Act ("SAA"), The Carriage of Goods By Sea Act ("COGSA"), and the Federal Maritime Lien Act ("FMLA"); (2) cases involving the interplay of admiralty law and state law in suits involving claims for attorney fees, the application of laches, and marine insurance issues; and (3) cases involving traditional maritime issues such as the interpretation of maritime contracts,. salvage law and sovereign immunity. If there is an underlying theme to the Eleventh Circuit's decisions this year, it would be that they are firmly grounded on precedent and they are consistent with the majority of other circuit courts that have addressed the same issues. In that sense, the Eleventh Circuit could be said to have promoted in 2000 one of the primary goals of the maritime bar: uniformity in maritime law.