The objectives of International Safety Management Code, ISM Code are to ensure safety at sea, prevention of human injury or loss of life, in particular the marine environment, and property (Code 1.2.1). Company, who has assumed the responsibility for operation of the ship from Ship owner, shall have all the duties and responsibility imposed by this Code. Safety management system, SMS established by company based on duties and responsibility on Code responds to legal responsibility, especially criminal one. In UK, company, ship or/and designated person must be punishable due to failures to comply with the requirements of ISM Code in SI 1998 No.1561. On the other hand in Japan, corporation (company) shall be punished by dual punishment rule with employee in it. However corporate punishment may be done caused by negligence of management for employee, as a side effect. This legal situation may not fulfill company's duty and responsibility of ISM Code. This paper shall study the legal problem of our dual punishment rule and try to find improvement of it in order to accept international agreement.
