In this Act—

• “damage” includes loss;

• “owner”, in relation to a registered ship, means the person registered as its owner, except that in relation to a ship owned by a State which is operated by a person registered as the ship’s operator, it means the person registered as its operator;

• “the court” means the High Court in England and Wales, the Court of Session or the High Court in Northern Ireland or a judge thereof.

In relation to any damage or cost resulting from the discharge or escape of any oil carried in a ship F2or from a relevant threat of contamination, references in this Act to the owner of the ship are references to the owner at the time of the occurrence or first of the occurrences resulting in the discharge or escape F2or (as the case may be) in the threat of contamination.

References in this Act to the area of any country include the territorial sea of that country.