Accident commission 'not before 2006'.

Norway's planned commission of inquiry (see Safety at Sea International, October, p6) will not start work before the first half of 2006, it has emerged. Oslo shipping lawyer Trond Eilertsen, a partner at law firm Wikborg Rein, told SASI that the delay is because of "organisational matters".

"Firstly, it is necessary to reorganise the current Commission of Inquiry for Aviation and Railway to encompass the new Commission," he said last month. "Secondly, the existing duties of the maritime inspectors shall be transferred to the prosecuting authority." In addition, the Norwegian parliament still has to make some budgetary decisions about the new commission.

The new body will be responsible to the Ministry of Transport and carry out functions similar to those of the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch. Its aim will be to improve safety at sea rather than apportion blame and its duty to report accidents at sea will only be mandatory for defined accidents.

Hitherto, Norway has used its court system to investigate accidents using a system first established by the Maritime Code of 1860. But ad-hoc commissions of inquiry have been set up from time to time for significant incidents.

Although Norway has had good investigation skills, "I do agree that it is now time to replace the current system of maritime inquiries with a professional, independent and permanent Commission of Inquiry," Eilertsen said.