Hilton Staniland is Professor in Commercial Law, Shipping and Transport at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS) at Queen Mary University of London. He is an Emeritus Professor of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) and Adjunct Professor at the World Maritime University (Sweden).

Hilton is very active in maritime law reform and policy. He has drafted many shipping legislation, including acts, regulations and decrees, for states in common law and civil law jurisdictions. Hilton is also involved in marine casualty investigations and, sits, from time to time, as a judge in courts of marine inquiry trials in different jurisdictions, dealing with the loss of lives and ships at sea.

Hilton was appointed as the inaugural chairperson of the Board of Directors of the South African Maritime Safety Authority during the tenure of President Nelson Mandela.  He has represented South Africa at the IMO and has acted as consultant for several United Nations organisations dealing with the implementation and enforcement of international legal instruments.

Prior to joining CCLS in 2018, Hilton was a Professor of Maritime Law and a former Director of the Institute of Maritime Law at the University of Southampton, a Visiting Professor of Maritime Law at the Greenwich Maritime Institute of the University of Greenwich, and the Director of the Institute of Maritime Law at the University of Natal.

Hilton has published books, chapters and articles on maritime law, admiralty law, international trade law, law of the sea, carriage of goods by sea, marine insurance, seafarers’ law, and law reform.