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Study on the Identification of Subject Liability for Collisions Involving Unmanned Ships

Xuchen Ge1,*
1 School of International Law, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, Hubei,430073, China * Correspondence: Xuchen Ge,School of International Law, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, Hubei,430073, China

Vol. 22 (2026): 2026 3rd International Conference on the Frontiers of Social Sciences, Education, and the Development of Humanities Arts (EDHA 2026)

Received: 2026-06-13

Accepted: 2026-06-13

Published: 2026-06-13

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Downloads: 75

Abstract

With the rapid development of intelligent shipping technology, the commercial application of unmanned ships has moved from an idea to reality. However, the maritime legal system represented by the current Maritime Code is still based on the traditional ship technology framework. It shows obvious institutional lag when dealing with new legal issues such as liability for unmanned ship collisions. Among these problems, the ambiguity in identifying the subject of liability has become a core challenge. The liability boundaries of multiple subjects such as system developers and communication service providers need to be clearly defined by law urgently. This paper sorts out the practical difficulties in identifying the subject of liability for unmanned ship collisions and the application limitations of traditional principles in a systematic way. It also clarifies the legal paths and legislative suggestions for the subject of liability under different causes of damage, and provides a theoretical reference for China's Maritime Code to meet the challenges of the intelligent shipping era.

Keywords

unmanned ships ship collision subject of liability legal status imputation principle

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Copyright and License

Published in2026-06-13 16:46:40

DOI doi.org/10.70088/t204s565

Creative Commons
Copyright: © 2026 by the authors. Submitted for possible open access publication under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/license s/by/4.0/).

Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by EDHA 2026

Journal Information

  • Vol. 22 (2026): 2026 3rd International Conference on the Frontiers of Social Sciences, Education, and the Development of Humanities Arts (EDHA 2026)
  • 2026-06-13
  • ISSN: (Print) 3078-770X/ (Online) 3078-7718
  • Journal Homepage

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