Jotham Scerri-Diacono

Practice Areas

Jotham Scerri-Diacono is a Partner within Ganado Advocates’ shipping team, with particular focus on ship registration, shipping litigation and maritime law generally. Jotham also regularly advises and assists clients on corporate law and dispute resolution.

Jotham sits on a number of Committees and Boards involved in maritime and environmental law. He lectures and is an examiner at the University of Malta on topics dealing with shipping and advocacy. He regularly writes and contributes articles on maritime law in various local and international journals.

Jotham has acted for major banks, owners and buyers in arrest and sale of vessels in Malta. He regularly assists clients with the registration of yachts under the Malta Flag.

In 2020, Jotham chaired the subcommittee of the Malta Maritime Law Association (MMLA) dealing with amendments to Maltese maritime law and concluded the ambitious task of drafting proposed amendments to the COCP and the MSA, which proposals are currently being discussed by a working group purposely set up to finalise this endeavour. During the same year, a task force led by Jotham proposed to the transport authorities revamped “policy and procedures on the application of the tonnage tax scheme regarding time/voyage charters”, which policy and procedures have now been taken on board by the said authorities.

Career

Ganado Advocates, Partner: 2009

Visiting Lecturer and Examiner for the Faculty of Laws LL.D and LL.B courses, University of Malta: 2007

Ganado Advocates, Senior Associate: 2000

Ganado Advocates, Associate: 1994

Professional Memberships

Admitted to the Maltese Bar, Superior Courts of Malta

Member of the Chamber of Advocates

Member of the International Bar Association

Member of the Executive Committee of the Malta Maritime Law Association

Honorary Member of the Association of Fellows and Legal Scholars of the Centre for International Legal Studies

Member of the Maritime Legislative Advisory Council

Member of the Domestic Arbitration Panels (Maritime and General Civil/Commercial), Malta Arbitration Centre

Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, UK

Executive Council Member, Malta Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energies Association (MEEREA)

Secretary/Treasurer of the International Propellor Club, Port of Valletta

Member of the University Maritime Platform

Languages Spoken

English

Italian

Maltese