Functional Jurisdiction in the Law of the Sea

The Law of the Sea Convention has now reached 25 years of presence in the international scene as a constitution for the oceans. It was the product of a long and arduous negotiation with a final product of delicate balance. The purpose of this book is to examine whether the basic premises and essential compromises of the Convention still hold true or whether the Convention, as a living instrument, has evolved into accommodating new needs and challenges to its regulatory scheme. The vehicle chosen is the jurisdictional interplay between the States, as flag States, coastal States and port States, and the world community at large in matters relating to navigation, fisheries, access to the biological resources of the deep seabed or even maritime security. The result confirms the solid foundations of the Convention and its ability to evolve and expand without upsetting its essential balance. A book useful to all those interested in the law of the sea and the structure of international law.

Maria Gavouneli, LL.M. (Cantab.), Ph.D. (Cantab.), is Lecturer in International Law at the University of Athens. She has published extensively in matters of environmental law, immunities and law of the sea, including 'Pollution from offshore installations' (Martinus Nijhoff, 1995 - Paul Guggenheim Prize) and 'Unresolved issues and new challenges to the Law of the Sea. Time before and time after' (Martinus Nijhoff, 2006) with Anastasia Strati & Nikolaos Skourtos (eds.)