Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea – the protector of the constitution of the seas – has been located in Hamburg-Nienstedten since 1996. The tribunal is called in cases of disputes between nations on maritime law. The judges have to reach verdicts in cases about things like compensation for damages by piracy, territorial borders or entering foreign waters. Fishing and limits on catches are also possible areas of dispute.

The tribunal was grounded on the basis of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982. 155 countries have ratified the convention. They elect 21 judges, who come to Hamburg when necessary to hear cases. The current President is José Luis Jesus from the Cape Verde Islands, who has been in office since October 2008.