This book is devoted to an examination of the legal status of govern ment merchant ships while on the high seas or in the waters of foreign states in time of peace. The object of this examination is to ascertain whether there is any rule of international law which accords such a ship a higher status than that of private merchant ships. Whether government merchant ships, unlike private ships, are entitled to certain immunities from the jurisdiction of foreign states is the question that we have set out to answer in this book. A discussion of the rules concerning the nationality of such a ship or the jurisdiction of the flag state over her does not find a place in this work. A government merchant ship may be defined as a merchant ship l owned or operated by a state. Immunity of a ship here means the exemption of a government ship from the jurisdiction of any state other than the flag state. This term also connotes the immunity of the flag state from the jurisdiction of the tribunals of foreign states in respect of proceedings connected with such a ship. Immunity of persons means the exemption of persons in the service of a govern ment ship, or other persons on board her, from the jurisdiction of any state other than the flag state.

In a period of growing tensions within the maritime domain, this timely new book brings together a combination of academic and practical expertise to present an account of the critical areas of the law of naval warfare. It provides a comprehensive, academically rigorous and practically relevant treatment of the law applicable to naval conflicts that will be of value to governments and their advisers, defence forces, academics, students and historians. The extensive expert analysis of the key issues includes topics such as: ¿ Interaction with peacetime law of the sea ¿ Maritime zones ¿ Targeting, distinction and deception ¿ Submarine warfare ¿ Legal status of merchant vessels and direct participation in hostilities by civilians ¿ Blockade ¿ Prize law ¿ Non-International Armed Conflict at Sea ¿ New technologies and non-traditional vessels ¿ Hospital ships ¿ Intelligence collection ¿ Interaction with Australian domestic legal obligations ¿ Environmental issues

This book is devoted to an examination of the legal status of govern ment merchant ships while on the high seas or in the waters of foreign states in time of peace. The object of this examination is to ascertain whether there is any rule of international law which accords such a ship a higher status than that of private merchant ships. Whether government merchant ships, unlike private ships, are entitled to certain immunities from the jurisdiction of foreign states is the question that we have set out to answer in this book. A discussion of the rules concerning the nationality of such a ship or the jurisdiction of the flag state over her does not find a place in this work. A government merchant ship may be defined as a merchant ship l owned or operated by a state. Immunity of a ship here means the exemption of a government ship from the jurisdiction of any state other than the flag state. This term also connotes the immunity of the flag state from the jurisdiction of the tribunals of foreign states in respect of proceedings connected with such a ship. Immunity of persons means the exemption of persons in the service of a govern ment ship, or other persons on board her, from the jurisdiction of any state other than the flag state.

In three Parts the author examines the right of hot pursuit on land, in the international law of the sea, and in international air law. He critically analyzes the development of the right, its present status and position in the future. Hence, solutions are proposed to present problems of international law in connection with the right of hot pursuit, as well as to problems which may arise in the future. Thus, the doctrine of hot pursuit is placed within the framework of modern international law and examined in the light of recent developments. These extensively discussed developments include not only consideration of the right of hot pursuit in connection with guerilla warfare techniques and conflicts not amounting to war, but also all recent evolutions in the international law of the sea, including, inter alia, problems appertaining to fisheries, exploration and exploitation of the continental shelf, pirate radiostations, and pollution of the sea. In addition, the right of hot pursuit in international air law is examined in connection with all modern situations, for instance, recent interception techniques of intruding aircraft, contiguous air space limits, hi-jacking of aircraft and air piracy. This work is an extended and updated edition of the book first published in 1969.