ABSTRACT
Man is the ultimate point of reference for every reality. It can be said that international law of the sea is shaped by treaties and custom. This is of course true. But these are created by someone’s actions. Someone influences the practice of their use, and also informs others what they are and how they should be interpreted. Someone can also lead to their supplementation, and sometimes even – change. Even behind the institutions, at the end of the road, there are always specific people: scientists, diplomats, practitioners, or government representatives, and these roles sometimes intertwine. That is why it is so important to remember about people. One of them is Professor Wojciech Góralczyk, an eminent representative of the doctrine of public international law, in particular international law of the sea, delegate to the First and the Third UN Conferences on the Law of the Sea and to the Preparatory Commission for the International Seabed Authority and for the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. A reminder of his life path, including his academic career, indicating the key elements of his scientific achievements, as well as presenting his participation in the above-mentioned bodies, will help us better understand how the content and perception of contemporary international law of the sea was shaped.
