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LAWS8092 – Law of the Sea

2026 – Session 2, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Tina Soliman-Hunter
tina.solimanhunter@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to LLM or MIntTrdeComLaw or MSusDev or (Admission to JD and LAWS600 or LAWS8001)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

The oceans cover five-sevenths of the planet's surface and are undoubtedly one of the world's most important resources. The economic, political, strategic and social interests at play are enormous. This unit will examine the different maritime zones, address the regulation of activities undertaken in connection with the oceans, and consider how the demands of different states have impacted on this complex legal regime.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Describe and critically analyse the role of the key actors and institutions involved in the law of the sea and the legal principles governing that maritime activity.
  • ULO2: Evaluate and critique the interests of states in their decision-making in relation to maritime governance, assessing the relative strengths and weaknesses of conflicting views over ocean space and use.
  • ULO3: Discuss, explain and critique in oral and written form different viewpoints on law of the sea from an international perspective.
  • ULO4: Identify and analyse how the law of the sea interacts with related areas of international law such as maritime security and concepts of state sovereignty
  • ULO5: Apply advanced knowledge of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in practical legal contexts, including the interpretation and application of treaties, customary international law, and dispute resolution mechanisms relevant to international legal practice.

General Assessment Information

 

General Assessment Information

All written assessments submitted electronically must be submitted through the link provided in iLearn. This unit will utilise Turnitin plagiarism detection software. Students should carefully check that they submit the correct file for an assessment, as re-submissions will not be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file in error.

The design, moderation and feedback of all assessments is in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Procedure (link provided under ‘Policies and Procedures’ below).

Late Submission Policy

A maximum penalty of five (5) percentage points of the total possible marks will be applied per day to late submissions, for up to a maximum of seven calendar days. Tasks that have not been submitted within the maximum number of additional late days will receive a mark of zero. This provision does not apply to exams or other assessment with a time limit of less than 24 hours.

Penalties for late submission will be applied consistently and equitably to all students enrolled in the unit. Where short-term, serious and unavoidable circumstances have affected their ability to submit an assessment task, a student must submit a formal application for Special Consideration as per the Special Consideration Policy. Students should not request an informal arrangement from their tutor, lecturer or Unit Convenor.

Where an application for Special Consideration is approved, and the outcome is an extension to the due date of a task, submissions that are received after the new due date will be subject to late penalties that are calculated from the new due date. This only applies where the outcome is an extension to the due date – see the Special Consideration Policy for a schedule of all possible outcomes.

Special Consideration

Students should submit applications for Special Consideration electronically via the Service Connect portal, along with the supporting documentation. Before submitting their applications, students should refer to the Special Consideration Policy (link provided under ‘Policies and Procedures’ below).

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Professional Skills 20% No Week 13 Individual No Observed
Research paper 40% No 18/09/2026 Individual Yes Open
Exam 40% No Week 13 Individual No Observed

Professional Skills

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

Students will develop essential legal professional skills through structured classroom activities such as oral advocacy, critical reasoning, strategic problem-solving, collaborative work, team leadership, mooting, simulated client consultations, legal presentations or demonstrations, doctrinal analysis and problem solving, and/or collaborative legal research. These activities are designed to develop students’ professional capabilities including capacity to communicate legal concepts clearly and engage professionally with diverse audiences in diverse contexts.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Describe and critically analyse the role of the key actors and institutions involved in the law of the sea and the legal principles governing that maritime activity.
  • Evaluate and critique the interests of states in their decision-making in relation to maritime governance, assessing the relative strengths and weaknesses of conflicting views over ocean space and use.
  • Discuss, explain and critique in oral and written form different viewpoints on law of the sea from an international perspective.
  • Identify and analyse how the law of the sea interacts with related areas of international law such as maritime security and concepts of state sovereignty
  • Apply advanced knowledge of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in practical legal contexts, including the interpretation and application of treaties, customary international law, and dispute resolution mechanisms relevant to international legal practice.

Research paper

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 24 hours
Due: 18/09/2026
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

Students will be set a paper of approx 3000 words requiring independent research 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Describe and critically analyse the role of the key actors and institutions involved in the law of the sea and the legal principles governing that maritime activity.
  • Evaluate and critique the interests of states in their decision-making in relation to maritime governance, assessing the relative strengths and weaknesses of conflicting views over ocean space and use.
  • Discuss, explain and critique in oral and written form different viewpoints on law of the sea from an international perspective.
  • Identify and analyse how the law of the sea interacts with related areas of international law such as maritime security and concepts of state sovereignty
  • Apply advanced knowledge of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in practical legal contexts, including the interpretation and application of treaties, customary international law, and dispute resolution mechanisms relevant to international legal practice.

Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 6 hours
Due: Week 13
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

An invigilated examination. The exam may cover any or all topics and materials covered in the unit.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Describe and critically analyse the role of the key actors and institutions involved in the law of the sea and the legal principles governing that maritime activity.
  • Evaluate and critique the interests of states in their decision-making in relation to maritime governance, assessing the relative strengths and weaknesses of conflicting views over ocean space and use.
  • Discuss, explain and critique in oral and written form different viewpoints on law of the sea from an international perspective.
  • Identify and analyse how the law of the sea interacts with related areas of international law such as maritime security and concepts of state sovereignty
  • Apply advanced knowledge of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in practical legal contexts, including the interpretation and application of treaties, customary international law, and dispute resolution mechanisms relevant to international legal practice.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • Academic Success for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

Prescribed textbook:  

Yoshifumi Tanaka, ‘The International Law of the Sea’ (4th edition, Cambridge University Press 2023) 

 

Unit Schedule

Week 1: Introduction

Week 2: Baselines, internal waters, access to ports, Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone

Week 3: Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone, Seabed Energy Activities

Week 4: Delimitation of Maritime Zones; Islands in Maritime Delimitation

Week 5: Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, High Seas, Deep Seabed, Submarine Cables & Pipelines

Week 6: Protection of the Marine Environment & Controlling Pollution

Week 7: Marine fisheries Management

Week 8: Marine Scientific Research

Weeks 9 & 10: Dispute Settlement in the Law of the Sea

Week 11: Future Directions: Environment & Climate Change in the Oceans

Week 12: Law of the Sea in Practice: Peaceful Settlement of Territorial & Maritime Disputes 

Week 13: Take Home Exam

 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2026.04 of the Handbook