Twenty Years of Prompt Release of Vessels: Admissibility, Jurisdiction and Recent Trends

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) has a residual compulsory jurisdiction regarding the prompt release of seized vessels. This procedure is one of the novelties introduced in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and is unique in the international judicial universe because of both its procedural characteristics and its functions. This article highlights how prompt release cases do not necessarily stem from a dispute. This has a direct consequence for those whose interests the procedure protects and who can submit an application. The last part of this article discusses the recent trend where the release of vessels and crews has been requested in the context of provisional measures applications.