Jurisdiction of States and the Law of the Sea: Essentials of the Law of the Sea

Abstract

While the ocean is one unit in a physical sense, the international law of the sea divides the ocean into multiple jurisdictional zones, such as internal waters, territorial seas, the archipelagic waters, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, the continental shelf, the high seas and the Area. In principle, the law of the sea provides the rights and obligations of States according to these jurisdictional zones. Like international law in general, the spatial distribution of jurisdiction of States concerns the primary function of the international law of the sea. Given that the world is divided into sovereign States, the role of the law of the sea is of critical importance with a view to establishing an international legal order in the oceans. Thus this article examines jurisdiction of States in the international law of the sea. In so doing, this article highlights key points of the law of the sea.