Section 15: Statutory powers of detention

(1) Where a law, other than this Act, confers on a person a power to detain a ship-
(a) if the ship is under arrest under this Act, the power to detain the ship shall not be exercised;
(b) the exercise of the power to detain the ship shall not prevent the arrest of the ship under this Act.
(2) If a ship that has been detained under such a power as is mentioned in subsection (1) of this section, is arrested under this Act, then, by force of this subsection the detention shall be suspended for so long as the ship is under arrest.
(3) If a ship that has been detained pursuant to a civil claim or would, but for paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section, be liable to be detained under such a power, is arrested and sold under this Act, then, the civil claim shall, unless the Court otherwise directs, be payable in priority to any claim against the ship other than the claim of the Admiralty Marshal for expenses.