ABSTRACT
The process of coastal management inevitably raises questions of law. Law provides the statutory powers and duties of the various authorities and agencies involved in the administration of the coast, and it defines the legal rights and responsibilities of the stakeholders who use that area. However, law is neither the sole nor a sufficient determiner of human activity, and its role in coastal management is a complementary one. The influence of law may also be both positive and negative; although ideally it should support the implementation of policy and prevent the occurrence of unwanted events, it also possesses a potential to produce the opposite result. Unless the nature and role of law in the coastal zone are properly understood, and its strengths and limitations appreciated, it may become an impediment rather than an instrument of progress.
