In London Arbitration 7/19 the tribunal decided that a clause in a time charter stating ‘Charterers have no right to make any deduction from hire payments… Chrts do not have the right to deduct from hire payment any amounts on alleged under performance, except undisputed off hire” precluded charterers from making deductions from hire by way of equitable set off. The tribunal referred to the unreported decision in Marubeni v Sea Containers Ltd 17 May 1995, in which Waller J said:
“First, in the same way as the words ‘deduction or withholding’ are not terms of art which will always include‘set-off’, they are equally not terms of art which limit their meaning to only covering taxes, levies or duties. Second, the fact that clear words are necessary does not mean that the word ‘set-off’ must be used. The words can be clear from their context. Third, what is said in one contract between other parties in one context, cannot really assist in the construction of another contract between different parties in a quite different context.”
Charterers could not deduct their off hire claims either as these were not undisputed. The charterers had argued that they had not made deductions from hire,but that hire was simply suspended, but that was a distinction without a difference.