1t gives me great pleasure as Chairman of the Section on Business Law to write a foreword to this, the second volume in a series of books on Maritime Law. Volume I dealt with 'Arrest of Vessels' and the remain­ ing subjects tobe covered are 'Mortgages of Vessels' and 'Registration of Vessels'. The first volume has proved most successful and many lawyers have testified to its practical value. I am certain that this second volume will have an equally warm welcome. The series is the inspiration of Lennart Hagberg, the Chairman of the Section on Business Law's Committee on Maritime and Transport Law. Both he, and the contributors to the series who are all members of that Committee, are busy practising lawyers, and it is only by making sacrifices that they have been able to add this additional task to their already heavy commitments. In particular, Lennart Hagberg's task as editor has involved an enormous amount of work and I am most grateful