Publisher's Synopsis
Even in the middle of the ocean, the law is in action. Legal experts are constantly needed to interpret the laws established by the United Nations' Convention on the Law of the Sea. Thus, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) was established in 1994 as an independent body in Hamburg, Germany to deal with international maritime disputes. The Convention on the Law of the Sea established a comprehensive legal framework to regulate all ocean space, including its uses and resources. It contains provisions relating to territorial waters, contiguous zones, continental shelves, exclusive economic zones, and the high seas. It also provides for the protection and preservation of the marine environment, for scientific marine research, and for the development and transfer of marine technology. One of the most important parts of the Convention concerns the exploration of the resources of the ocean floor and its subsoil. ITLOS has the important role of the interpretation and application of the above mentioned Convention and its purposes. It has the authority to resolve disputes concerning the law of the sea, and therefore, ITLOS has great influence on transboundary international law. This collection provides an extensive overview of applicable international legislation and landmark cases of the law of the sea, making it highly valuable in the legal arena. The current volume offers an overview of the M/V 'Saiga' case (Case # 1).
