Merchant Shipping Act 1906

65 Provisions as to failure to join ship and desertion

(1) Where a seaman who has been lawfully engaged and has received under his agreement an advance note, after negotiating his advance note, wilfully or through misconduct fails to join his ship or deserts therefrom before the note becomes payable, he shall, on summary conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding five pounds, or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for not exceeding twenty-one days, but nothing in this section shall take away or limit any remedy by action or by summary procedure before justices which any person would otherwise have in respect of the negotiation of the advance note, or which an owner or master would otherwise have for breach of contract.

(2) Where it is shown to the satisfaction of the superintendent that a seaman lawfully engaged has wilfully or through misconduct failed to join his ship, the superintendent shall report the matter to the Board of Trade, and that Board may direct that any of the seaman's certificates of discharge shall be withheld for such period as they may think fit, and, while a seaman's certificate of discharge is so withheld, the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen, and any other person having the custody of the necessary documents, may, notwithstanding anything in the Merchant Shipping Acts, refuse to furnish copies of any of his certificates of discharge or certified extracts of any particulars of service or character.