What is the concept of forum non conveniens under Admiralty Law?

Forum non conveniens is a concept of admiralty law in South Carolina that allows a court to decline to take jurisdiction over a case if it is not in the most appropriate place to hear it. Essentially, if a case should be heard in another jurisdiction, the court can decide that it will be more appropriate for it to be heard in the other jurisdiction instead. For example, if a ship is in port in Charleston, South Carolina, but a claim related to the ship arises in Savannah, Georgia, a South Carolina court may decide that it is more appropriate for the case to be heard in Georgia. This concept is based on the idea that the interests of justice would be better served by having the case heard in a forum closer to the events and witnesses involved in the case. It is important to note that this concept applies to admiralty law, which is the body of law related to activities on navigable waters. This includes disputes related to maritime contracts, collisions between vessels, and other incidents related to ships. In order for the forum non conveniens doctrine to be applied, the court must decide that the most appropriate jurisdiction for the case is outside the state of South Carolina.

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