“Good Reasons to Believe” as a Justification for Hot Pursuit Against Vessels in the Law of the Sea
“Good Reasons to Believe” as a Justification for Hot Pursuit Against Vessels in the Law of the Sea

Summary/Abstract: International law of the sea recognises the principle of hot pursuit, which applies when the authorities of a coastal state have good reasons to believe that a foreign vessel has violated that state’s laws and regulations. It is clear that hot pursuit constitutes an exception to the fundamental principle of freedom of navigation on the high seas and must therefore be exercised with great caution. Certain procedures must be followed in accordance with international legal standards to ensure a lawful maritime hot pursuit. The numerous technological advances that have occurred since the entry into force of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) have changed the practice of the law of the sea so dramatically that formulating specific conditions for its application presents a major challenge for coastal states.

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