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Accused Somali pirates board a police van at the Indian naval dockyard/

Where the Law Gets Thin: The Jurisdictional Gap Pirates Exploit

UNCLOS’s piracy provisions codified a model rooted in older piracy patterns that don’t match today’s near-shore threat. Today, piracy is a recurring, adaptive threat.
The US Navy warship USS Sampson (DDG 102) docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City on September 02, 2025. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on September 1, 2025, that eight US military vessels with 1,200 missiles were targeting his country, which he declared to be in a state of "maximum readiness to defend" itself. (Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images)

Arbitrary Killings or War Crimes? Why It Matters How the U.S. Strikes in the Caribbean Are Categorized

Analysis of U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and the legal consequences of classifying them as arbitrary killings or war crimes under international law.
two fishermen in the foreground, the USSS Gravely in the background, on the open sea.

Can the U.S. Government Be Sued for Wrongful Death in a Caribbean Boat Strike?

In Burnley v. United States, relatives sue on behalf of two Trinidadian men killed in a boat strike, confronting U.S. sovereign immunity and the political question doctrine.

The Just Security Podcast: Can the U.S. Seize Russian Flagged Oil Tankers?

Tess Bridgeman speaks with Rob McLaughlin about the legality of the U.S. interception and seizure of two Russian-flagged oil tankers in international waters.
Concept image of deep underwater ocean exploration with submarine or rov. (via Getty Images)

The Rulemakers of Deep-Sea Mining: How the U.S. and China Are Competing Beyond Minerals

In the race for critical minerals, those who control the legal and regulatory frameworks will shape who has access and which values define the future of resource extraction.
A model of an underwater internet cable

A New Strategy to Counter Chinese Sabotage of Taiwan’s Undersea Cables

U.S. policymakers must adopt a comprehensive strategy to counter China's "shadow fleet" and enhance Taiwan's undersea cable security.
Humpback whales as seen from above swimming in blue water

New High Seas Treaty Prepares International Community for Sustainable and Equitable “Blue Economy”

Following the international community’s 1982 adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), often referenced as the “constitution of the ocean,”…
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