The Chancellor of the University, Judge Professor David J. Attard was honoured at the Malta Maritime Summit held this week with an award for his contribution to maritime law.

He has been teaching international maritime law within the Department of International Law for over 35 years, was appointed Director of the IMO International Maritime Law Institute, and is now a Judge at the United Nations International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

Recently, he was elected by his fellow judges as President of the Seabed Chamber and is responsible for deciding issues relating to the common heritage of mankind. In his acceptance speech, the Chancellor paid tribute to the pioneering role of Professor John Colombos, a graduate of our University, who wrote the first monograph on the law of the sea in 1950s.

The Maritime Summit attracts ship owners and industry officials from all over the world, reflecting Malta’s ship registry as the largest in Europe.