The Legal Regime of Passage Rights Through International Straits

Navigation through straits of international importance have gained importance in light of the role they play in promotion of international trade as also furthering the interest of the entire community of nations. They have also come out to be a rather integral element of the international law of the sea which rests on the basic principle of “freedom of the seas”. The freedom of the seas allows for the seas to be freely used by all nations for fishing and for navigation and thus today the straits of Gibraltar, Hormuz, Malacca, Bab-el-Mandab see a plenitude of sea-borne commerce and as sea lines for military transport vessels. This book will throw some light on the conventions applicable and its impact on international passage through straits. In the course of doing this, the legal evolution of the framework surrounding the non-suspendable rights of passage will be looked at. The book will also scrutinize in great detail the application of the various navigational regimes in the Straits, such as the transit passage and innocent passage regimes,etc. The authors hope that the same proves to be an invaluable tool to bolster international comity of nations and free flow of commerce.

Devaditya Chakravarti is a lawyer currently plying his trade at Lakshmikumaran & Sridahran, one of India’s leading full-service law firms. He completed his graduation from Gujarat National Law University, India. He has two books to his credit and several other articles in leading international law reviews. He also freelances for DNA and india.com.