In 1973 Libya claimed the Gulf of Sirte. Its claim was based on historic and vital interests and it stated that the Gulf was part of Libyan internal waters over which Libya exerts full sovereignty and that the Gulf was an historic or vital bay. The thesis analyses the Libyan historic and/or vital bay claim over the Gulf. Although the doctrine of historic and/or vital bays is not codified, it is not a new doctrine in international law. It is argued that, as an exception to the general rules on bays, the coastal State has the right, by virtue of historic and vital interests, to claim and appropriate a bay adjacent to its coast. Chapter one deals with the scope of the research including the legal significance of the claim to Libya. The chapter discusses the methodology used and reviews the 1973 Declaration and international reaction to it, including the US-Libyan incidents. The geographical and historical background of the Gulf of sirte are also reviewed. In chapter two the evolution of the concepts of bays, historic bays and waters in international law are discussed. The chapter deals with definitional issues, the evolution and codification of the law of bays, and assess the law applicable in the field of historic and/or vital bays, and the requirements of customary international law. Chapter three analyses the Libyan immemorial usage and the effective Libyan exercise of sovereignty over the Gulf of sirte. Chapter four discusses the concept of acquiescence and whether there has been international acquiescence in the Libyan claim. Chapter five deals with the concept of protest and its application to the Libyan claim. It analyses the protests made at the Libyan claim and discusses a number of the protests made by States which have made similar claims to that of Libya. The issue of re~!procity is examined prior to detailed consideration and evaluation of the protests. Chapter six discusses the vital bay theory in a theoretical context, in state practice and its implementation by the tribunals. It also analyses the Libyan vital interest9s in the Gulf of Sirte and assesses the Libyan vital bay claim. Finally, chapter seven provides an overview of the Libyan historic and vital bay claim over the Gulf of sirte in a regional framework and in the context of the changing law of the sea. Proposals are made concerning the formulation of new rules when necessary on the codification of existing rules, on State practice and emerging trends relating to historic and/or vital bays. It is recommended that special attention should be given to the legitimate and genuine interests and needs of coastal States and the proposals made by Developing States in this regard.

En Méditerranée orientale, la paleo-marge sud de la Téthys a subit des épisodes polyphasés d'extension pendant le Paléozoïque et le Mésozoïque. Cette marge a été postérieurement inversée pendant des épisodes compressifs et discontinus depuis le Crétacé supérieur liés à la convergence entre l'Afrique et l'Eurasie.La marge Cyrénaïque (nord-est Libye) a enregistré ces épisodes extensifs et compressifs. Elle permet donc l'analyse des inversions et de leurs relations avec les évènements ayant eu lieu le long de la frontière de la plaque Africaine (i.e. subduction Hellenique).Le bassin de Sirte, adjacent à la Cyrénaïque montre une direction oblique, ne présente pas la même déformation et est caractérisé par une subsidence continue depuis le Mésozoïque.Des données de sismique (réflexion) combinées à des rapports et des corrélations de puits, nous ont permis d'examiner et de discuter les interactions entre la Cyrénaïque, le bassin de Sirte et les domaines profonds (i.e. bassin Ionien).Ce travail permet de mieux préciser les différents épisodes d'extension, de contraindre les évènements compressifs enregistrés par la région Cyrénaïque, d'observer les structures du bassin de Sirte et de clarifier en partie son évolution.Finalement cette partie de la marge est intégrée dans le cadre géodynamique régional de la Téthys sud et permet de discuter l'âge ainsi que le mécanisme d'ouverture pour la branche orientale de la Méditerranée. / In the Eastern Mediterranean, the South-Tethys paleo-margin experienced poly-phased rifting episodes during Paleozoic and Mesozoic times. This margin has been subsequently inverted by discontinuous events occurring since the Late Cretaceous as a consequence of the Africa-Eurasia convergence.The Cyrenaica margin (northeast Libya) has recorded these extensional and compressional events. It thus gives the opportunity to analyse these inversion and their possible causal links with events occurring along the plate boundary (i.e. within the Hellenic subduction).The adjacent Sirt Basin, follows an oblique direction, did not suffer the same deformation as Cyrenaica and has recorded a continuous subsidence since the Mesozoic.Offshore seismic data combined with well correlations have permitted us to investigate and discuss the interactions between Cyrenaica, Sirt Basin and the deeper domains (i.e. Ionian Basin).We were able to document the different rift episodes, better constrain the compressional events on Cyrenaica, observe characteristics of the architecture of the Sirt Basin and clarify part of its evolution.Finally we integrate this part of the margin, in the regional geodynamic frame of the East Mediterranean branch of the Neo-Tethys by discussing the timing and mechanism which led to its opening.

This study involves a critical appraisal of the legal implications of South Africa’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the context of its international and regional human rights obligations. The dissertation also investigates the history and formation of the ICC, South Africa’s involvement and its role as a guardian of international and regional human rights obligations in Africa. The study reviews the circumstances leading to South Africa’s notice of withdrawal from the ICC, including the legal implications and international human rights obligations. This inquiry considers South Africa’s proposed withdrawal from the ICC which is supported by points of departure and a comprehensive literature review. The decision to withdraw from the ICC is considered to be a political one. However, this study raises questions about the executive’s withdrawal in regard to its domestic, regional and international human rights obligations, irrespective of whether it is a member of the ICC. The study surveys the background to South Africa’s participation in the ICC, its membership of the African Union and the implications of ICC membership including the obligations imposed on member states. / Criminal and Procedural Law / LL. M.