Preview

Kutafin Law Review

Advanced search

Jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Terms of Giving Advisory Opinions and Prospects of the Delivery thereof on Combating Climate Change

https://doi.org/10.17803/2713-0533.2024.2.28.295-324

Abstract

On 25 September 2023, the landmark request for an advisory opinion addressing issues of State responsibility for the ongoing climate crisis took a new turn — oral hearings were concluded in the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). The article explores on what exactly rests the jurisdiction of the Tribunal, allowing it to issue the sought advisory opinion. The article outlines the main arguments, presented by the States parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which question the conclusiveness of ITLOS’s jurisdiction to some extent. The article reveals that despite a very debatable nature of the aforementioned advisory jurisdiction of the full Tribunal, it is highly probable that ITLOS will eventually formulate the sought opinion given that the subject matter of the case is quite resonant. The authors also argue on the potential influence the climaterelated advisory opinions of international judicial organs may have on the development of international law.

About the Authors

Damir K. Bekyashev
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (MGIMO University)
Russian Federation

Damir K. Bekyashev, Dr. Sci. (Law), Professor, Professor of the Department of International Law,

Moscow.

ScopusID: 57210159096 ;

ResearcherID (WoS): U-3467-2018.



Elizaveta G. Umrikhina

Russian Federation

Elizaveta G. Umrikhina, Magister Juris,

Moscow. 

ResearcherID: JZA-3990-2024.



References

1. Abashidze, A.Kh., Solntsev, A.M. and Syunyaeva, M.D., (2012). Advisory Opinion of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on the Responsibility of States for Activities on the Seabed Beyond National Jurisdiction. State and Law, (7), pp. 72–81. Available at: https://mgimo.ru/upload/iblock/164/164d40493186fd10b8e8abbe7ceee80f.pdf [Accessed 17.06.2024]. (In Russ.).

2. Baars, L.P., (2023). The Salience of Salt Water: An ITLOS Advisory Opinion at the Ocean-Climate Nexus. The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, 38(3), pp. 581–602, doi: 10.1163/15718085-bja10137.

3. Brownlie, I., (2003). Principles of Public International Law. 6th ed. New York: Oxford University Press.

4. De Herdt, S.W. and Ndiaye, T.M., (2019). The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the protection and preservation of the marine environment: Taking stock and prospects. Canadian Yearbook of International Law, (57), pp. 353–385, doi: 10.1017/cyl.2020.23.

5. Diouf, O., (2014). The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS): innovations and prospects in the international maritime disputes settlement system after more than fifteen years of effective practice. Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the awards of the degree of Master of Science in Maritime Affairs. Malmö: The World Maritime University.

6. Espósito, C., (2011). Advisory Opinions and Jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. SSRN Electronic Journal, 21 pages, doi: 10.2139/ssrn.2104156.

7. García-Revillo, M.G., (2015). The Contentious and Advisory Jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Leiden: Brill Nijhoff .

8. Jianjun, G., (2015). The ITLOS Advisory Opinion for the SRFC. Chinese Journal of International Law, 14(4), pp. 735–755, doi: 10.1093/chinesejil/jmv046.

9. Kadysheva, O.V., (2022). Role of advisory opinions in international justice and in the practice of the EAEU Court. Law. Journal of the Higher School of Economics, 15(1), pp. 208–231, doi: 10.17323/2072-8166.2022.1.208.231. (In Russ.).

10. Kapustin, A.Ya., (2018). International courts: tendencies of development and influence on national legal systems. State and Law, 7, pp. 120–132, doi: 10.31857/S013207690000217-0. (In Russ.).

11. Kolb, R., (2013). The International Court of Justice. Oxford: Hart Publishing.

12. Nguyen, L.N., (2023). The Development of the Law of the Sea by UNCLOS Dispute Settlement Bodies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

13. Noyes, J.E., (1999). The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Cornell International Law Journal, 32(1), pp. 109–182. Available at: https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1439&context=cilj [Accessed 19.06.2024].

14. Orlova, Ye.S., (2020). Competition of jurisdictions of international judicial organs when considering international maritime disputes. Dissertation of a candidate of legal sciences. Moscow: The Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation. (In Russ.).

15. Platjouw, F.M. and Pozdnakova, A., (eds) (2023). The Environmental Rule of Law for Oceans: Designing Legal Solutions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

16. Prölss, A., (2017). United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: A Commentary, 1st edition. Oxford: Beck/Hart Publishing.

17. Schmid, J., (2006). Advisory Opinions on Human Rights: Moving Beyond a Pyrrhic Victory. Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law, 16(2), pp. 415–456. Available at: https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1102&context=djcil [Accessed 19.06.2024].

18. Sinyakin, I.I. and Skuratova, A.Yu., (2018). Jus Cogens: the Historical Aspect and Contemporary Value for International Law. Perm University Herald. Juridical Sciences, 41, pp. 526–545, doi: 10.17072/1995-4190-2018-41-526-545. (In Russ.).

19. Tanaka, Y., (2015). Reflections on the Advisory Jurisdiction of ITLOS as a full court: the ITLOS Advisory Opinion of 2015. The Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals, 14, pp. 318–339, doi: 10.1163/15718034-12341296.


Review

For citations:


Bekyashev D.K., Umrikhina E.G. Jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Terms of Giving Advisory Opinions and Prospects of the Delivery thereof on Combating Climate Change. Kutafin Law Review. 2024;11(2):295-324. https://doi.org/10.17803/2713-0533.2024.2.28.295-324

Views: 597


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.


ISSN 2713-0525 (Print)
ISSN 2713-0533 (Online)