Dr. Sony Vijayan, Associate Professor, Department of Commerce and Management, School of Arts and Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi campus, was invited to speak at the World Maritime Conference (WMC) 2019. The conference was hosted by the China Institute of Navigation and Shanghai Maritime University in Shanghai, from October 20-22, 2019. WMC 2019 is an international event focusing on the current hot topics and major advances in the maritime field by attracting experts on a global scale. Dr. Sony attended the three-day conference and delivered an expert talk on “The Use of Force on Merchant Ships without Strict Rules for Use”.

Her speech dealt with the key legal issues pertaining to the use of armed forces on merchant ships without proper RUF, and the limitations of the coastal state jurisdiction over such vessels with a critical perspective. Her research argued for a more controlled system, well supported by global standards and strict rules for the use of force on merchant ships.

Dr. Sony completed her Doctor of Philosophy from the Cochin University of Science and Technology in the topic “Indian Law on Control of Vessel Sourced Pollution in Maritime Ports”. She has been invited as an expert speaker at various international conferences and has several published papers in referred journals. Dr. Sony’s focus areas of research and teaching are corporate laws, commercial law and arbitration, maritime law, seafarer’s welfare and rights, maritime safety and security, shipping and port management and marine pollution issues.