This 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.
The course will address the following:
- the history of Law of the Sea concepts
- 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.
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 develop legal problem-solving skills by applying the law to hypothetical problem scenarios. The course is designed to advance and develop advanced legal research and writing skills.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Synthesise and apply advanced knowledge of the key concepts and principles that are applicable in the law of the sea, in the context of the specific workings of international law, especially other relevant treaties, customary international law and methods of dispute resolution.
- Critically reflect on practical and theoretical issues arising from the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
- Analyse and propose solutions to some of the key law of the sea issues confronting Australia and the Asia Pacific region.
- Critique the interaction of the law of the sea with related areas of international law, such as maritime security and concepts of state sovereignty.
- Plan and compose an advanced-level research paper which critically examines one or more contemporary law of the sea issues.
Other Information
This is an intensive course with a compulsory on campus component (see LLM timetable for dates).
Approximately 6 weeks from the completion of the on campus component your final assessment will be due. Contact with fellow students and the convenor, both prior to the intensive and after, is conducted via the Wattle course site.
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]
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 26 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 LLM Masters 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 known.
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 | $7020 |
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.
Summer Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1423 | 12 Mar 2026 | 13 Mar 2026 | 20 Mar 2026 | 17 Apr 2026 | In Person | N/A |