The Merchant Shipping Act, 1958

Section 120. Certificate as to work of seamen

In force · As amended up to 2026-08

120. Certificate as to work of seamen .―(1) When a seaman is discharged from a ship in India, the master shall furnish to the shipping master before whom the discharge is made a report in the prescribed form stating — - (a) the quality of the work of the seaman; or - (b) whether the seaman has fulfilled his obligations under the agreement with the crew; or - (c) that he declines to express an opinion on those particulars; and the shipping master shall, if the seaman so desires, give to him or endorse on his certificate of discharge a copy of such report. (2) A seaman who is entitled to a certificate of discharge under section 119 may, if he so desires, be granted by the master, in lieu of the certificate referred to in sub-section (1) of the said section or the report referred to in sub-section (1) of this section, a continuous discharge certificate specifying the period of his service together with an endorsement stating — - (a) the quality of the work of the seaman; or - (b) whether the 'seaman has fulfilled his obligations under the agreement with the crew; or - (c) that he declines to express an opinion on those particulars; and the shipping master shall thereupon sign and give such continuous discharge certificate notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in sub-section (1). (3) If the master states that he declines to express an opinion on the particulars mentioned in clauses (a) and (b) of sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), he shall enter in the official log book his reasons for so declining.

Source: India Code