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Unit of study_
LAWS6047: Law of the Sea
2025 unit information
Covering two-thirds of the world's surface the ocean provides a range of indispensable public goods including fisheries and non-living resources and is a vital conduit for international trade. The international law of the sea regulates access to and use of the oceans, and this unit reviews the major areas of this area of international law as they have developed over the centuries. It takes as its focus the 'constitution' of the oceans - the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Each of the major maritime zones is assessed, and there is also a review of key sectoral issues, including the protection of the marine environment, fisheries management, navigational rights and freedoms, and military uses of the oceans. Where appropriate, reference is made to relevant Australian law and practice, and to other state practice in the Asia Pacific Region. Further information about this unit is available in the Sydney Law School timetable https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/4533/pages/postgraduate-lecture-timetable, unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units and academic staff profile https://www.sydney.edu.au/law/about/our-people/academic-staff.html
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Sydney Law School
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Law |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Describe to an advanced level the main areas of the law of the sea and their significance for contemporary ocean governance
- LO2. Critically analyse the central norms and institutions established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
- LO3. Identify and evaluate key law of the sea issues confronting the Asia Pacific region and Australia
- LO4. Examine and evaluate the interaction between the international law of the sea and other areas of international law, such as state jurisdiction and international environmental law
- LO5. Identify key law of the sea issues arising from recent events and state practice and critically assess their relevance for the development and implementation of the law of the sea
- LO6. Critically apply the acquired knowledge on the law of the sea to develop an advanced understanding of the origins and purposes, methods and vocabulary of public international law, especially treaty law, customary international law and methods of dispute resolution
- LO7. Communicate an understanding of the law of the sea in a clear, logical and analytical manner using plain and concise language, to diverse audiences.
- LO8. Identify and apply rules and principles of the law of the sea in innovative ways to analyse complex factual scenarios in the maritime domain
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2a 2025
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Block mode | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
