A participant who has successfully completed this course should:
- have a clear understanding and appreciation of the international legal framework created by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea;
- have a clear understanding of the evolution, and current status of the various jurisdictional zones and regimes that currently govern the utilisation of the world's oceans, and of the underlying policy considerations that led to the adoption of the compromises reflected in the contemporary Law of the Sea; and
- be capable of applying the relevant legal norms to practical situations.
The course will focus on the impact of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea and more recent supplementary agreements in the light of current State practice, seeking to identify, in particular, the extent to which its provisions have become part of customary international law in that area.
Addressed will be the history of Law of the Sea concepts; baselines and internal waters, territorial waters and the regime of innocent passage; the contiguous zone; transit passage through straits used for international navigation; islands, archipelagoes and the regime of archipelagic sealanes passage; the Exclusive Economic Zone; the Continental Shelf; recent developments in delimitation of maritime zones; the high seas and the management of High Seas fisheries; deep-seabed mining and the International Area, marine environmental protection and management, maritime regulation and enforcement, and dispute resolution in the law of the sea.
To develop their knowledge and skills, students will engage in a range of learning activities, giving students the opportunity to develop their communication skills and legal problem-solving skills by applying the law to hypothetical problem scenarios. The course is designed to advance and develop legal research and writing skills.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Examine and distinguish amongst the variety of processes by which the international law of the sea is formed, and the roles played by the most important bodies and institutions
- Synthesise and apply the concepts, terminology and principles of the international law of the sea, including those found in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
- Determine the relevance of the international law of the sea to current political and social developments at the international and national levels through analysis of particular cases
- Select and apply a range of approaches in written and oral communication, and apply critical thinking required to bring about creative solutions to and new understandings of complex law of the sea problems
- Develop technical research skills to use, interpret and apply a wide range of legal materials in both on-line and traditional media from international and national sources
- Plan and execute a piece of research with some independence
Indicative Assessment
- The proposed means of assessment for this course will provide students with at least two pieces of assessment, including one piece during the teaching period. More information about the means of assessment, including the relationship between the assessment and the learning outcomes of the course, will be available in the class summary and on the course Canvas page. (100) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
- Classes offered in non-standard sessions will be taught semi-intensively with compulsory contact hours of approximately 36 hours of face to face teaching. The course will also require advanced preparation through assigned readings. In total, it is anticipated that the hours required for completion of this course (class preparation, teaching and completion of assessment) will not exceed 120 hours.
- Classes offered during semester periods are expected to have three contact hours per week. Students are generally expected to devote at least 10 hours overall per week to this course. In total, it is anticipated that the hours required for completion of this course (class preparation, teaching and completion of assessment) will not exceed 120 hours.
Click here for the LLB Program course list
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Students must rely on the approved Class Summary which will be posted to the Programs and Courses site approximately two weeks prior to the commencement of the course. Alternatively, this information will be published in the Program course list when finalised.
Preliminary Reading
Students must rely on the approved Class Summary which will be posted to the Programs and Courses site approximately two weeks prior to the commencement of the course.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 34
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $5520 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $6660 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8828 | 27 Jul 2026 | 03 Aug 2026 | 31 Aug 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 | In Person | N/A |