《联合国海洋法公约》项下公海航行自由的新发展——评国际海洋法法庭“北极星号”案

New developments on freedom of navigation on high seas under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea——Commentary on the M/V Norstar Case of ITLOS

在"北极星号"案中,国际海洋法法庭第一次对公海航行自由问题作出解释,《公约》项下的航行自由出现了若干新的发展,该案的判决对公海航行自由的未来实践产生了深远影响。其一,在船旗国对公海上悬挂其旗帜船舶的专属管辖权问题上,国际海洋法法庭对该问题采取扩张解释,认为船旗国在公海上对船舶的专属管辖权既包括执行管辖权,也包括立法管辖权。这一裁决体现了在国际法中公海航行自由扩张的趋势,这可能对非船旗国及其国民的维权构成障碍。其二,国际海洋法法庭认为公海航行自由不包括进入公海的自由,法庭的这一解释过于片面,与公海航行自由的基本法理不符。其三,对于《公约》第三百条中的善意与滥用权利问题,国际海洋法法庭对部分关键事实未进行全面、适当认定,导致该条的有关请求在判决中未得到支持,该案关于《公约》第三百条的裁决对后续的法律实践产生了一定影响。同时,该案判决对北极星号加油的地点未进行明确认定,案件事实认定存在缺陷。

Issues concerning freedom of navigation on the high seas was construed for the first time by the International Tribunal( ITLOS) for the Law of the Sea in the M/V Norstar Case,and the freedom of navigation on the high seas under the Convention has experienced some new developments which would have profound impacts on future practice. First,with regard to the issue of exclusive jurisdiction of the flag state to vessels flying its flag,the ITLOS applied the extensive approach and concluded that such jurisdiction included both enforcement jurisdiction and prescriptive jurisdiction. Such interpretation implied an extended tendency of freedom of navigation on high seas in international law and thus may constitute a barrier to the protection of rights for the non-flag states. Second,the ITLOS adjudicated that freedom of navigation did not include the right to access the high seas which was inconsistent with the jurisprudence of freedom of navigation on high seas.Third,the request for the violation of good faith and abuse of right consisted in article 300 of the UNCLOS was dismissed because the ITLOS failed to ascertain certain curial facts comprehensively and properly,which may have certain effect on future legal practice. Besides,the ITLOS did not have a comprehensive analysis on the exact locus of the bunkering,which was also a defect on in the finding of fact of the judgment.