The Advisory Jurisdiction of ITLOS: An Overview of the Request for An Advisory Opinion by the SRFC

Following the request from the Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC) for an advisory opinion, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) addressed its advisory jurisdiction. This paper aims to examine this aspect of the ITLOS Advisory Opinion of 2 April 2015. The research method is  descriptive – analytical and the information has been collected through library sources. The paper will explain that with a functionalist approach and an evolutionary interpretation of Article 21 of the ITLOS Statute and Article 138 of the Rules of the Tribunal, ITLOS established that the full Tribunal has jurisdiction to give the advisory opinion requested by the SRFC and this authority is not merely for the Seabed Disputes Chamber. This advisory opinion paves the way for other bodies to obtain an advisory opinion from the Tribunal as regards the international law of the sea. It can rightly be considered a new way for the Tribunal and lead to the development the law of the sea.