Maritime Delimitation in the Indian Ocean (Somalia v. Kenya)
| Maritime Delimitation in the Indian Ocean (Somalia v. Kenya) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Court | International Court of Justice |
| Decided | 12 October 2021 |
Maritime Delimitation in the Indian Ocean (Somalia v. Kenya) was a 2021 judgment of the International Court of Justice.
Judgment
On 2 February 2017, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) handed down its Judgment on Preliminary Objections in the case concerning Maritime Delimitation in the Indian Ocean (Somalia v. Kenya).[1] The applicant, Somalia, had requested the Court to delimit its single maritime boundary with neighbouring Kenya. Favouring a negotiated outcome over adjudication, the respondent challenged the jurisdiction of the Court and the admissibility of the application. By a clear majority, the ICJ rejected all objections thereby paving the way to the merits phase of the case, which was concluded by the Court’s judgment on the merits of 12 October 2021.[1]
Hearings on the merits, originally scheduled for September 2019, were delayed at Kenya's request and despite Somalia’s objections. These hearings were then further delayed as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic but were finally held in hybrid format from 15–18 March 2021.[2]
Reception
In response, the foreign ministry of Kenya issued a statement that it does not recognise the judgement.[3]
See also
References
Citations
- ^ a b Benatar & Schatz 2024, p. 118.
- ^ Bekker, Schofield & van de Poll 2022, p. 420.
- ^ Omondi, Ferdinand (12 October 2021). "ICJ rejects Kenya case in Somalia maritime border row". BBC News. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
Bibliography
- Bekker, Pieter; Schofield, Clive; van de Poll, Robert (25 August 2022). "Transparency and Predictability in the Maritime Delimitation Process: Reverse-engineering the Somalia-Kenya Adjudicated Boundary". The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law. 37 (3): 413–457. doi:10.1163/15718085-bja10104.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the CC BY 4.0 license. - Benatar, Marco; Schatz, Valentin (15 July 2024). "Opting Out of unclos Tribunals: The Impact of Maritime Delimitation in the Indian Ocean (Somalia v. Kenya)". Portuguese Yearbook of the Law of the Sea. 1 (1): 117–134. doi:10.1163/29501636-01010007. This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the CC BY 4.0 license.