Shipping – Crew. The proceedings arose from an incident in which the chief engineer of a vessel had started a fire, which had caused damage. The Commercial Court considered a number of preliminary issues relating to alleged barratry on the chief engineer's part. Among other things, it held that art IV r 2(b) of the Hague-Visby Rules was capable of exempting the defendant owner from liability if the fire had been deliberately or barratrously caused.