ABSTRACT
This chapter sets the scene for the study by first outlining the historical development of maritime uses across the globe and the wide range of non-State maritime stakeholders. It then explores the concept of “State jurisdiction” in the context of the international law of the sea to define that concept as the international-law authority of a State to be involved in a factual matter on the basis of a valid legal ground to perform authoritative acts impacting on that matter. The chapter ends with a preview of the analytical framework developed in the study against the background of relevant dicta in the Lotus Case.
