British Contributions to the Law of the Sea and the Protection of the Marine Environment, including its Natural Resources
Journal: British Yearbook of International Law
Year: 2023

Abstract This article explores the contribution of the United Kingdom to the development and continued evolution of the law of sea and the establishment of an international legal order for the world’s oceans. The authors consider the rise of the United Kingdom as the pre-eminent naval power until the early 20th century, and its use of international law, including the principle of the freedom of the seas, to further its national interests. Despite the relative decline in the naval power of the UK