The International Law of the Sea: India and the UN Convention of 1982 - Hardcover

The law of the sea has undergone more change in the last fifty years than it has in the previous four hundred. All naval operations, both in times of peace as well as of war, are supposed to be carried out within the framework of international law, which now centres around the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982. An understanding of today's law of the sea is critical for domestic as well as international maritime trade and inevitably of course, for national security. This comprehensive book provides clarity on what the legitimate use of ocean space is and what is not. It examines the new jurisdictional boundaries or functional divisions of the oceans into several maritime zones along with their military implications. One of the key aims of the author is to create a ready reference for naval officers who are required under the naval regulations to 'observe the principles of International law', but whose training does not prepare them for dealing with them especially in view of the impact of advanced technology on traditional rules of law. Where relevant judgments of the International Court of Justice, the Law of the Sea Tribunal, and national/municipal courts are referred to and explained.

O.P. Sharma retired as Rear Admiral, Indian Navy. As Judge Advocate General of the Navy he was deputed by the Gov't of India as a member of the Indian delegation to the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea. He attended all the sessions between 1975 and 1982, when the Conference was successfully concluded