ITLOS Practice on Prompt Release of Vessels

Sometimes the competent authorities of the coastal state detain foreign ships for violating national or international law and regulations. As a rule, the ship suspected of committing an offense should remain in custody until the end of the investigation so that judicial or administrative authorities can rule out the possibility of enforcement. Prolonging the time and process of detention can have a lot of losses. One cannot justify unilaterally the immediate and unconditional resolution of some problems, since the possibility of enforcement by the coastal judiciary will be lost. Has the ITLOS been able to establish a uniform and coordinated approach to immediate release? This mechanism is embodied in the 1982 Convention, and the Tribunal in its various judgments has balanced the interests of the coastal states and the flag-bearer with regard to the conditions of immediate release and the determination of the standards for reasonable guarantee, and the appropriate procedure in this regard. The Tribunal's approach to immediate release was initially economic, but gradually shifted to human rights issues, and is now a top priority for the immediate release of the captain and crew, and ultimately the ship itself.