Law of the sea

Interests protected by law of the sea

• Extension of state jurisdiction to territorial waters

• Freedom of navigation on the high seas

• Rights to economic exploitation (fishing, mining etc) within a broad band outside territorial waters

• Common heritage of mankind – high seas and deep seabed

Legal regime

• Treaty: UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, entered into force 1994. This treaty is considered to mostly codify customary IL.

• Tribunal: International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)

Sea zones and rights

Territorial sea: 12 nautical miles from coast

The territorial sea of a state ends at 12 nautical miles from the coast. It includes the airspace and seabed, internal waters and waters between islands of an archipelago state.

Rights of the state in territorial sea

In its territorial sea, the state as the same sovereignty it has over land. Exceptions apply for:

• the right of innocent passage of foreign ships (Corfu Channel Case). Under this rule a coastal state cannot stop or board a ship in its territorial sea to enforce civil jurisdiction; however, it may enforce criminal.

• The immunity of warships and government ships that arise under state immunity, as long as the ships are passing peacefully and without belligerence.

Contiguous zone: 12-24 nautical miles from coast

The contiguous zone of a state must be declared; a state may do so for the areas between 12-24 nautical miles from the baseline. [Note if this declaration has been made]

Rights of the state in the contiguous zone

In this zone, states have limited jurisdiction to prevent and punish the infringement laws relating to customs, immigration, fishing and sanitary requirements.

Sea bed: continental shelf or exclusive economic zone of up to 200 nautical miles

States may claim rights to the sea bed based on either its continental shelf or an exclusive economic zone.

Continental shelf

Rights to the sea bed exist based on the historical right of a coastal state to the continental shelf as a natural prolongation of territory. These rights arise automatically.

The customary IL is supplemented by UNCLOS Art 76 which provides that there is a presumptive continental shelf up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline. States may claim up to 350 nautical miles if the physical shelf extends further than 200 nautical miles.

• If the shelf is shared by 2 coastal states, boundary determined by equitable principles

• The sea...

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