Short Course: Law of the Sea

Course Outline

This course provides an insightful overview of the international law of the sea and the pressing challenges confronting the world's oceans and seas. Led by experts from both academia and practice, participants will gain a robust working understanding of the main sources of the law of the sea, including treaties, customary law, and judicial practice. These components are examined in various contexts, from marine environment protection, climate change and vulnerable species management to the governance of global commons, deep-sea activities and, crucially, the peaceful settlement of international maritime disputes. The course offers fresh practical insights by analysing real-world examples, current issues, emerging trends, and new directions in the field.

Topics and Tutors:

• Keynote: The United Nations Law of the Sea Convention: Past, Present & Future 
  Professor Sir Malcolm D Evans, Regent's Park College, University of Oxford, Honorary Senior Fellow, BIICL
• International Regulation of Fisheries & Management of Fisheries Disputes in the EEZ
  Prof Dr Richard Barnes, Professor of International Law, College Co-Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange, Lincoln University
  
• Protection of the Marine Environment & Control of Marine Pollution under UNCLOS
  Dr Rozemarijn Roland Holst, Lecturer in International Environmental Law, University of Edinburgh
  
• Governance of Global Commons: Deep Seabed Mining & Marine Genetic Resources
  Dr Naomi Burke O'Sullivan, Principal Counsel, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development; Former ITLOS Legal Officer
  
• Delimitation of Maritime Zones within and beyond 200 nautical miles
  Dr Angel Horna, Minister-Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Peru to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva
  
• Disputed Maritime Areas and Energy Resources
  Dr Constantinos Yiallourides, Research Leader in Law of the Sea, BIICL; Associate Professor of International Law, Macquarie University, Sydney
  
• Ocean Sustainability and Climate Change
  Dr Mitchell Lennan, Lecturer in Environmental Law, School of Law University of Aberdeen, UK
  
• Regulating GHG Emissions from Ships and the Role of the IMO
  Fernanda Millicay, Argentina Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director Trade and Environment Unit
  
• Human Rights at Sea
  Dr Jean-Pierre Gauci, Arthur Watts Senior Research Fellow in Public International Law; Director of Teaching and Training, BIICL
  
• Dispute Settlement in the Law of the Sea & The Role of ITLOS
  H.E Judge Tomas Heidar, President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea; Honorary Research Fellow, BIICL
    

Download the course programme

Course leader

Dr Constantinos Yiallourides, Research Leader in the Law of the Sea, BIICL and Associate Professor in International Law, Macquarie University Sydney.

Course format

The virtual course format will consist of a series of 10 sessions in which live (synchronous) teaching is offered via Zoom. Participants will be able to interact with the tutors and amongst themselves on screen.

Who is the course for?

The course is beneficial to anyone with an interest in ocean governance including those working for government (including national and sub-national government), NGOs, legal practice, companies and academia (including students).

Testimonials from past attendees

"Great learning experience"
"Really informative, accessible and in interactive - even as a non-Lawyer"
"Brilliant course, very well organised and chaired"
"Really informative with applied case studies. It has given me lots of pointers which will help me with my own research and was all round an excellent course"

Training scholarships

We are delighted to be able to offer scholarships designed to enable individuals from communities currently under-represented in the legal field to access our world-class courses and benefit from unparalleled learning experiences.

Scholarships are aimed at 3 categories: individuals from communities and backgrounds that are under-represented in the legal field in the UK and abroad; individuals who have recently received a needs-based bursary from their university or further-education college and representatives from Small Charities, NGOs, and Community-Based Organisations.

Applications for training scholarships must be received at least three weeks ahead of the course start date (5 September 2025). Applications must be made via the online form and applications received via any other means will not be considered.

Find out more and apply for a scholarship here 

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