Legal Definitions - maritime-connection doctrine

Maritime-Connection Doctrine

The Maritime-Connection Doctrine is a requirement in maritime law that for a federal court to have jurisdiction over an admiralty tort case, the alleged wrong must occur on navigable waters and relate to a traditional maritime activity. This is also known as the locality-plus test.

An example of the Maritime-Connection Doctrine would be a case where a cargo ship collides with a fishing boat on the open sea. This would meet the requirement of occurring on navigable waters and relating to a traditional maritime activity.

Another example would be a case where a passenger on a cruise ship slips and falls on a wet deck. This would not meet the requirement of relating to a traditional maritime activity, as it is not a common risk associated with maritime activities.

The Maritime-Connection Doctrine is a way to determine whether a case falls under the jurisdiction of federal admiralty law. It requires that the alleged wrong occur on navigable waters, such as oceans, rivers, or lakes, and relate to a traditional maritime activity, such as shipping, fishing, or navigation. The examples illustrate how the doctrine is applied in different scenarios, with one meeting the requirements and the other not meeting them.