Recent Developments Concerning Irish Straight Baselines and Bay Closing Lines

Abstract

Abstract Ireland was one of the earliest states to proclaim, in 1959, straight baselines around parts of its coast. This exercise was fundamentally flawed because the linking points of the baselines specified by coordinates at the time had no chart data attached, so that, for example, the extent of the claimed Irish territorial sea (or other zones) could not then be accurately determined. This deficiency around the Irish coastline was belatedly rectified with respect to the straight baselines on the north, west, and south coasts by a statutory instrument of 2016. Furthurmore, the lack of published closing lines on the east coast respecting the three major bays was recently remedied by a statutory instrument of 2019 indicating the closing lines of the same. Despite these welcome clarifications, ambiguities and possible legal problems still relate to Irish baselines.