Maritime law is a body of laws, conventions and treaties that governs international private business or other matters involving ships, shipping or crimes occurring on open water. Laws between nations governing such things as national versus international waters are considered public international law and are known as the Law of the Seas. Maritime law is also known as “admiralty law.”(investopedia). To put it succinctly, maritime law deals with commercial, regulatory and other aspects of international trade. The United Nations ahs imposed many maritime conventions through International Maritime Organization (IMO).

For students who aspire to take up international studies as their career can pursue maritime law which is quite unique and often an unventured arena. There are a plethora of institutes that offer courses in maritime law. We have The University of Southampton’s LLM in maritime law which is a one year intensive course. Then we also have the International Maritime Law Institute, established under IMO. It is world recognized for training graduates in the intricacies of international maritime law. In India, we have the Indian Institute of Maritime Law.

Eligibility Criteria:

For LLM from Southampton and other universities like Nottingham, a bachelor’s degree in law, or a degree with relevant and sufficient legal component is a must. Also, additionally, an IELTS score of 7 and above is favourable. They also consider applicants with substantial relevant experience in the field.

The LLM Maritime Law develops the skill set required to advise, litigate and negotiate based on the rules of admiralty, international trade, marine insurance, carriage of goods by sea and air, ship sale, purchase and finance, marine environmental law, dispute resolution and the public international law of the sea (Southampton.ac.uk).

The City University London also offers an interesting course structure in their campus. The school benefits from being in the centre of the city that is a global maritime hotspot, and boasts of international reputation. one can also explore the Master of Laws that allows you to combine maritime law-related modules with any other modules of your choice. The City Law School is one of the most widely internationally respected law schools. Their entry requirements are the same as mentioned above and they also take into account relevant work experience, intellectual ability as well as references while making their decisions.

Besides an LLM, there are other courses that a student can opt for-

·       Postgraduate Diploma in Maritime Studies

·       Master of Commerce in Maritime Studies Programme

this area of law deals with a lot of factual scenarios. This upcoming area of law is highly desired abroad and is soon taking hold in the Indian academics.

Mallika Bhagat