GENESIS LAW OF THE SEA

The Law of the Sea

• The Law of the Sea is a set of international treaties and agreements that govern all maritime and marine activities.
• It promotes a harmonious interaction between the water and the coastal states.
• It handles all marine commercial operations, maintains navigation regulations, and defends the sea from controlling powers as one of the fundamental themes of international law.
• It governs the geographical operations of several coastal states and aids in the conservation of the aquatic environment.
• The Law of the Sea is related to the Law of the Sea Convention, which is a UN-based international treaty.
• 117 states signed it in 1982, and it became a law in 1994.

Genesis of the Law

• Hugo Grotius, renowned as the "Father of International Law," was instrumental in developing marine law doctrines. There existed a theory known as "freedom of the seas" in the 17th century.
• The sea is available to all states under this rule, although the sea or ocean does not belong to any circumstance. The sea law is continually evolving.
• Previously, there was a disagreement between "the free sea" and "the open sea."
• Because of technological advancements, numerous states developed jurisdictional claims to utilize, conserve, and protect the sea during the twentieth century.
• The United Nations ratified the legislation in 1982, which had 320 articles, nine annexes, and four resolutions.
• It broadened the scope of sea-related issues.
• It increased the territorial sea to 12 nautical miles.
• It provides nations with jurisdictional resolution when necessary, and it explains the founding of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to handle its disputes.

IMAGE SOURCE (THUMBNAIL)