Section 23: Name of ships.

(1) A merchant ship registered in the register for merchant ships shall have a name, and two or more merchant ships shall not bear the same name. (2) A Sierra Leonean ship shall not be described by any name other than that by which it is for the time being registered. (3) The Registrar may refuse registering of a ship by a name by which it is proposed to register that ship where it is— a) already the name of a registered Sierra Leonean ship; or b) a name so similar to that of a registered Sierra Leonean s hip as is calculated or likely to deceive or to offend the public interest. (4) Where the Registrar refuses to register a ship by the name that is proposed, the ship shall not be registered unless the name is changed. (5) A person who acts or allows any other person under his control to act in contravention of this section or omits to do or allows any other person under his control to omit to do anything required by this section commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding five million leones. (6) In addition to the fine under subsection (5), a ship to which the offence relates may be detained until the provisions of this section are complied with. Change of name of