Short Course: Law of the Sea
Date: 10 Sessions: 28 September, 5, 12, 19, 26 October, 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 November 2026
Time: 10:00 - 12:00 (UK time)
Venue: Online
Course Outline
This course provides a practice-oriented introduction to the international law of the sea and the urgent challenges facing 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, offshore energy and deep-sea mining activities and, crucially, the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes. The course offers fresh insights by analysing current issues, emerging trends, and new directions in the field.
Indicative course topics:
- Foundations of the Law of the Sea: Current and Emerging Issues in Ocean Governance and Security
- International Regulation of Fisheries & Management of Fisheries Disputes
- Protection of the Marine Environment & Control of Marine Pollution under UNCLOS
- Governance of Global Commons: Deep Seabed Mining & Marine Genetic Resources
- Delimitation of Maritime Zones and Transboundary Resource Cooperation
- Energy at Sea and Just Transitions in Turbulent Waters
- Ocean Sustainability and Climate Change
- Regulating GHG Emissions from Ships and the Role of the IMO
- Human Rights at Sea
- Dispute Settlement in the Law of the Sea & The Role of ITLOS
Course programme to follow shortly
Course leader
Dr Constantinos Yiallourides, Senior Fellow 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 six weeks ahead of the course start date (17 August 2026). 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
