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Dispute Settlement in Maritime Law - The Effectiveness of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Resolving Maritime Disputes

Nighy, Stina LU (2024) LAGF03 20242
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), plays a vital role in resolving disputes about maritime law. As the world’s oceans become more important for trade, resources and environmental stability, ITLOS provides a specialized legal framework to address conflicts. This thesis examines how effective ITLOS is at enforcing its judgments and compares it to other dispute settlement mechanisms under UNCLOS.

Using a legal analytical and dogmatic method, the essay explores the strengths and weaknesses of ITLOS through a comparative analysis and case study. ITLOS is effective in procedural disputes like the prompt release of vessels, where compliance... (More)
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), plays a vital role in resolving disputes about maritime law. As the world’s oceans become more important for trade, resources and environmental stability, ITLOS provides a specialized legal framework to address conflicts. This thesis examines how effective ITLOS is at enforcing its judgments and compares it to other dispute settlement mechanisms under UNCLOS.

Using a legal analytical and dogmatic method, the essay explores the strengths and weaknesses of ITLOS through a comparative analysis and case study. ITLOS is effective in procedural disputes like the prompt release of vessels, where compliance rates are high. However, in politically sensitive cases, such as The Arctic Sunrise case, where state sovereignty and power dynamics play a role, compliance is lower. In contrast, cases like The Bay of Bengal Maritime Boundary Dispute show ITLOS’s ability to resolve complex disputes peacefully when the states involved operate on more equal footing.

The thesis also compares ITLOS with other dispute resolution mechanisms under UNCLOS, such as arbitration and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Arbitration is more flexible but depends on state cooperation, which can lead to mixed results, as seen in The South China Sea Arbitration. The ICJ, while influential and respected globally, lacks ITLOS’s specialization in maritime law, making ITLOS better suited for technically complex issues.

The result of the investigation shows that ITLOS is an important but limited mechanism. Its effectiveness depends not just on its legal expertise but also on the willingness of states to comply with its rulings. Comparisons with other mechanisms show that each has strengths and challenges, with ITLOS’s specialization being its main advantage. However, broader issues in international law, such as power imbalances and the lack of enforcement mechanisms, continue to affect all judicial bodies, including ITLOS. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Den internationella havsrättsdomstolen (ITLOS), inrättad under FN:s havs-rättskonvention (UNCLOS), utgör en avgörande tvistlösningsmekanism vid lösandet av havsrättsliga tvister. I takt med att världens hav blir viktigare för handel, resurser och miljömässig stabilitet, erbjuder ITLOS en specialiserad rättslig ram för att lösa tvister.

Uppsatsen undersöker hur effektivt ITLOS kan verkställa sina domar och jämför samtidigt ITLOS med andra tvistlösningsmekanismer under UN-CLOS. Genom både en rättsanalytisk och rättsdogmatisk metod utforskar uppsatsen ITLOS styrkor och svagheter genom dels en komparativ analys, dels en mindre fallstudie. Uppsatsen visar att ITLOS är effektiv i tvister av processrättslig karaktär, som vid omedelbar... (More)
Den internationella havsrättsdomstolen (ITLOS), inrättad under FN:s havs-rättskonvention (UNCLOS), utgör en avgörande tvistlösningsmekanism vid lösandet av havsrättsliga tvister. I takt med att världens hav blir viktigare för handel, resurser och miljömässig stabilitet, erbjuder ITLOS en specialiserad rättslig ram för att lösa tvister.

Uppsatsen undersöker hur effektivt ITLOS kan verkställa sina domar och jämför samtidigt ITLOS med andra tvistlösningsmekanismer under UN-CLOS. Genom både en rättsanalytisk och rättsdogmatisk metod utforskar uppsatsen ITLOS styrkor och svagheter genom dels en komparativ analys, dels en mindre fallstudie. Uppsatsen visar att ITLOS är effektiv i tvister av processrättslig karaktär, som vid omedelbar frigivning av fartyg och besätt-ning, och att efterlevnaden av sådana domar är hög. I politiskt känsliga tvister däremot, där statssuveränitet och maktbalans spelar roll, är efterlevnaden betydligt lägre. Samtidigt visar fall som The Bay of Bengal Maritime Boundary Dispute att ITLOS kan lösa tvister på ett effektivt sätt när de berörda staterna har ett mer jämlikt maktförhållande.

Uppsatsen jämför även ITLOS med andra tvistlösningsmekanismer under UNCLOS, däribland skiljeförfarande och den Internationella Domstolen (ICJ). Skiljeförfarande erbjuder mer flexibelt, men är beroende av staters frivilliga deltagande, vilket kan resultera i varierande utfall. Detta illustreras exempelvis i The South China Sea Arbitration. ICJ, som är globalt inflytelserik och respekterad, saknar ITLOS:s specialisering inom havsrätt, vilket gör IT-LOS bättre lämpad för tekniskt komplexa frågor.

Uppsatsens slutsats visar att ITLOS är en viktig men begränsad tvistlösningsmekanism. Domstolens effektivitet avgörs inte bara av dess juridiska fackkunskap, utan även av staters vilja att följa dess domar och avgöranden. Jämförelse med andra mekanismers visar att alla har sina styrkor och utmaningar, där ITLOS specialisering är dess största fördel. Dock kvarstår bredare problem inom international rätt, såsom maktobalans och bristen på verkställighetsmekanismer, vilket påverkar alla juridiska organ, inte minst ITLOS. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Nighy, Stina LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20242
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Public International Law
language
English
id
9179295
date added to LUP
2025-03-20 14:16:18
date last changed
2025-03-20 14:16:18
@misc{9179295,
  abstract     = {{The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), plays a vital role in resolving disputes about maritime law. As the world’s oceans become more important for trade, resources and environmental stability, ITLOS provides a specialized legal framework to address conflicts. This thesis examines how effective ITLOS is at enforcing its judgments and compares it to other dispute settlement mechanisms under UNCLOS.

Using a legal analytical and dogmatic method, the essay explores the strengths and weaknesses of ITLOS through a comparative analysis and case study. ITLOS is effective in procedural disputes like the prompt release of vessels, where compliance rates are high. However, in politically sensitive cases, such as The Arctic Sunrise case, where state sovereignty and power dynamics play a role, compliance is lower. In contrast, cases like The Bay of Bengal Maritime Boundary Dispute show ITLOS’s ability to resolve complex disputes peacefully when the states involved operate on more equal footing.

The thesis also compares ITLOS with other dispute resolution mechanisms under UNCLOS, such as arbitration and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Arbitration is more flexible but depends on state cooperation, which can lead to mixed results, as seen in The South China Sea Arbitration. The ICJ, while influential and respected globally, lacks ITLOS’s specialization in maritime law, making ITLOS better suited for technically complex issues. 

The result of the investigation shows that ITLOS is an important but limited mechanism. Its effectiveness depends not just on its legal expertise but also on the willingness of states to comply with its rulings. Comparisons with other mechanisms show that each has strengths and challenges, with ITLOS’s specialization being its main advantage. However, broader issues in international law, such as power imbalances and the lack of enforcement mechanisms, continue to affect all judicial bodies, including ITLOS.}},
  author       = {{Nighy, Stina}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Dispute Settlement in Maritime Law - The Effectiveness of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Resolving Maritime Disputes}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}