Marine Insurance Act, 1963
20. Disclosure by assured
(1) Subject to the
provisions of this section, the assured must disclose to the insurer, before
the contract is concluded, every material circumstance which, is known to the
assured, and the assured is deemed to know every circumstance which, in the
ordinary course of business, ought to be known to him. If the assured fails to
make such disclosure, the insurer may avoid the contract.
(2) Every circumstance
is material which would influence the judgment of a prudent insurer in fixing
the premium, or determining whether he will take the risk.
(3) In the absence of
inquiry the following circumstances need not be disclosed, namely:-
(a) any circumstance
which diminishes the risk;
(b) any circumstance which is known or
presumed to be known to the insurer. The insurer is presumed to know matters of
common notoriety or knowledge, and matters which an insurer in the ordinary
course of his business as such, ought to know;
(c) any circumstance
as to which information is waived by the insurer;
(d) any circumstance which it is superfluous
to disclose by reason of any express or implied warranty.
(4) Whether any
particular circumstance, which is not disclosed, be material or not is, in each
case, question of fact.
(5) The term
"circumstance" includes any communication made to, or information
received by, the assured.