Legal Categorisation of Autonomous Vessels before the Court: A Recent Dictum from South Africa: (De Beers Marine (Pty) Ltd v Harry Dilley (Pty) Ltd (Case no 413/22) [2023] ZASCA 110 (19 July 2023))

Autonomous vehicles are encompassed with an emerging area of law, where the practical implications on businesses and society are multifarious. Whether by sea, by air or by ground, automated transportation engenders risks, liabilities and rights of a different nature. This is the theoretical background of the Court decision at stake, entered by a South African Court, “De Beers Marine”. While in common law other judgments have already been issued on remotely operated vessels (ROVs), this Court decision appears to be the first one, as far as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are concerned. This is a unique opportunity to discuss both the narrative of the case and the general theory of the autonomous vessels.