Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE INL4003

 
TITLE Selected Topics in International Law of the Sea

 
UM LEVEL 04 - Years 4, 5 in Modular UG or PG Cert Course

 
MQF LEVEL 6

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT International Law

 
DESCRIPTION The study-unit will give a basic introduction on the evolution of the law of the sea from pre-UN developments to the present day. It will cover baselines as a prelude to the analysis of the various maritime zones and consequent jurisdictional capacities of coastal and other States. Thus, the regimes of the internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, EEZ and high seas will be discussed, together with a discussion of the continental shelf and the deep seabed.

Dispute resolution and the role of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea will also be covered.

Study-unit Aims

The aim of the study-unit is to provide a comprehensive grounding of the current status of the international law of the sea, to relate issues in the law of the sea to general international law and further issues such as environment and maritime security and to highlight attendant contemporary gaps and weaknesses in the current regime.

Learning Outcomes

1. Knowledge & Understanding:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

1. Comment upon the various jurisdictional powers of States in particular maritime zones;
2. Critically evaluate the international legal framework and the extent it has evolved to meet current exigencies.

2. Skills:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

1. Present a written in-depth analysis of current issues relating to the law of the sea;
2. Identify existing gaps and underlying problems in the regime relating to the law of the sea.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings

• Churchill Robin R and Lowe Alan V, The Law of the Sea (3rd edn, Manchester University Press, Manchester, 1999)
• Dupuy Rene-Jean and Vignes Daniel, A Handbook on the New Law of the Sea (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht, 1991) vols 1 and 2
• Freestone David, Barnes Richard and Ong David (eds), The Law of the Sea: Progress and Prospects (OUP, Oxford, 2006)
• O’Connell Daniel Patrick (Shearer Ivan Anthony ed), The International Law of the Sea (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1982) vol I
• O’Connell Daniel Patrick (Shearer Ivan Anthony ed), The International Law of the Sea (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1984) vol II

Main International Instruments:
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Montego Bay, 10 December 1982, entered into force 16 November 1994) 1833 UNTS 3; 21 ILM 1261 (LOSC)
• Convention on the High Seas (Geneva, 29 April 1958, entered into force 30 September 1962) 13 UST 2312; 450 UNTS 11 (HSC)
• Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone (Geneva, 29 April 1958, entered into force 10 September 1964) 15 UST 1606; 516 UNTS 205 (TSC)

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Pre-Requisite: International Law at University Level

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Independent Study

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment SEM1 Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S Christopher Attard
Felicity Attard
Antoine Grima
Andrew Mallia

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit