This textbook on the law of the sea sets the subject in the context of public international law. It comprehensively covers the principal topics of the course, from the legal regimes governing the different jurisdictional zones, to international co-operation for protection of the marine environment and marine living resources.

Praise for the previous edition: “A complete overview of the subject which does not intimidate the reader but rather spurns interest and understanding in the subject.” European Energy and Environmental Law Review “...(the book is) scholarly yet accessible and very readable; thoroughly recommended.” Law Institute Journal Description The law of the sea provides for the regulation, management and governance of the ocean spaces that cover over two-thirds of the Earth's surface. This book provides a comprehensive assessment of the foundational principles of the law of the sea, a critical overview of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and an analysis of subsequent developments including many bilateral, regional, and global agreements that supplement the Convention. The third edition of this acclaimed text has been thoroughly revised and updated, and now incorporates a dedicated chapter on natural and artificial islands. All of the main areas of the law of the sea are addressed including the foundations and sources of the law, the nature and extent of the maritime zones, the delimitation of overlapping maritime boundaries, the place of archipelagic and other special states in the law of the sea, navigational rights and freedoms, military activities at sea, marine scientific research, and marine resource and conservation issues such as fisheries, marine environmental protection and dispute settlement. The book also takes stock of contemporary oceans governance issues not adequately addressed by the Convention. Overarching challenges facing the law of the sea are considered, including how new maritime security initiatives can be reconciled with traditional navigational rights and freedoms, the need for stronger legal and policy responses to protect the global ocean environment from climate change and ocean acidification, and work on a new agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

"The British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) organized the 'UNCLOS at 30' conference on 22-23 November 2012 in Belfast, which inspired the launching of this book project. All of the contributing authors spoke at the conference...and most of their chapters have evolved from their presentations"--Page vii.

The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) entered into force in November 1994. This insightful book offers in-depth appraisals of the contributions of jurisprudence to this major achievement of international law, tracing the impact that courts and tribunals have had on the development and clarification of various provisions of UNCLOS over the past quarter-century.

Recent maritime disputes, environmental disasters, and piracy have raised the profile of the law of the sea. This Oxford Handbook brings together high-level analysis of all of its key aspects, examining the role of particular regions in the development of the law of the sea, management of the oceans' resources, and critical contemporary debates.

Baselines under the International Law of the Sea brings together two reports produced by the International Law Association (ILA) Committee on Baselines under the International Law of the Sea between 2008 – 2018. The Sofia Report (2012) is organized around the interpretation of Article 5 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC) concerning the normal baseline. The Sydney Report (2018) is organized around a common methodology in assessing Articles 7, 8, 10, 13, 14 and 47 of the LOSC concerning straight baselines, closing lines, and straight archipelagic baselines.