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Reflections on the Evolution of Space Law

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2009

D. Goedhuis
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Extract

In an article published in this Journal in 1962, entitled “Some Trends in the Political and Legal Thinking on the Conquest of Space”, the present writer endeavoured to examine whether in the statements and attitudes of statesmen and in the ideas and suggestions of international lawyers, the emergence of certain trends towards the ends and purposes of space exploration and the creation of some order in this new field of human activity, could be detected.

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Articles
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Netherlands International Law Review , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , June 1966 , pp. 109 - 149
Copyright
Copyright © T.M.C. Asser Press 1966

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References

1. See Netherlands International Law Review, 1962, 2, p. 113 et seq.Google Scholar

2. See U.N. Document A/AC. 105/PV. 37Google Scholar

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6. See also Cheng, B., “United Nations Resolutions on Outer Space, ‘Instant’ International Customary Law”, The Indian Journal of International Law, Vol. V, no. 1, 01 1965, p. 36.Google Scholar

the Soviet writer Tunkin in his recently published “Droit International Public”, Paris 1965, p. 76, considers that in the formation of customary norms: “sur le plan juridique, le facteur ‘temps’ n'a pas par lui-měme une importance décisive.”

7. See in particular Lissitzyn, O. J., “The American Position on Outer Space and Antarctica”, The American Journal of International Law, 01 1959, p. 126 et seq.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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10. Op. cit. p. 46.Google Scholar

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13. “Le Droit de l'Espace,” Presses Universitaires de France, Paris, 1960.Google Scholar

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31. The explanation of this volte face should be sought—as was demonstrated by Telders in his article “De Oorsprong van het Leerstuk der Territoriale Zee”, Verzamelde Geschriften II p. 121—Google Scholar in the political conditions prevailing between 1620 and 1625.

32. F.i. the principle of sovereignty over airspace enables the subjacent State to prohibit the disturbance of this airspace by means of Herzian waves caused for the purpose of wireless communication and emanating from a foreign source.

33. O'Connell in his recently published “International Law”, London 1965, P. 535, examining the juridical character of the territorial sea in international law remarks: “at the outset one must dispose of the argument that because Roman law put the sea beyond appropriation every part of it still remains beyond appropriation. Roman law also put the air beyond appropriation but today no one doubts that it is as much subject to sovereignty as the land itself” (emphasis supplied).

34. See f.i. Mateesco, N., “Ownership or Freedom of the Air and Beyond”Google Scholar, Lecture given at the “Institute of Air and Space Law”, McGill University 27th 11 1961Google Scholar; Georgiades, E., “Du Nationalisme Aérien à l'Internationalism Spatial ou le Mythe de la Souveraineté Aérienne”, Revue Française de Droit Aérien no. 2, 1962, p. 129Google Scholar et seq.; Glaser, S., “Agression Spatiale à la lumière du Droit International Pénal”, Revue Pénale Suisse, p. 509Google Scholar et seq.

35. The International Law Association held in Dubrovnik, 1956, accepted a Resolution on Air Law, the second paragraph of which reads as follows: “II that in questions regarding the granting of commercial landing rights to foreign operators, the States let themselves be guided by the basic principle that the social and economic needs of the individual are served by having at its disposal the most extensive international aircommunications possible; and that, therefore, apart from specific national interests, there is a common interest in expanding these communications, upon which greater emphasis then heretofore should be made; furthermore, that, in granting such landing rights, the principle of non-discrimination which is at the basis of the Chicago Convention should be strictly adhered to.”

36. The “Convention on Transit Trade of Land-Locked States” adopted by the U.M. Conference on 8th July 1965, limits itself to “sea-transport” directly preceding or following the passage of goods between a land-locked State and the sea. It should be mentioned that the Convention as adopted does not affirm the right of passage as a principle of international law.

37. Current Legal Problems, 1965, p. 146.Google Scholar

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39. See McNair, Lord, The Law of the Air, 1964, p. 17.Google Scholar

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41. See above, p. 109, note 1.

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60. See above, p. 127, note 37.

61. Lapenna, , op. cit., p. 121.Google Scholar

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66. Fisheries Case (United Kingdom v. Norway) I.C.J. Reports 1951, p. 132Google Scholar; see on this subject, Verzijl, , “The United Conference on the Law of the Sea, Geneva, 1958”, Netherlands International Law Review, 1959, Issue 1, p. 22et seq.Google Scholar

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78. See, apart from the writers already quoted on this subject, Law and Order in Space, p. 280Google Scholar: “the awareness is growing that the rigid reliance upon the policies developed for aircraft, is wholly inadequate to the needs of the space age and should be replaced by a new approach … an indispensable minimum for serving such common interest may consist in according non-military spacecraft in this pioneering stage of space flight a free access both to territorial airspace and land-territories as well”;

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79. Op. cit., p. 314.Google Scholar

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81. See U.N. Document A/AC.105/PV.37, 5th 10 1965, p. 62.Google Scholar

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87. The problem will be considered by the coming Conference of the International Law Association at Helsinki on the basis of the Questionnaire drawn up by Pépin, a member of the Space Law Committee of the Association.

88. See in this connection Jennings' Report on “The Legal Status of Space Vehicles”, presented to the Tokyo-Conference of the International Law Association; See Report of the 51st Conference of the Association, p. 170 et seq.

A new Report prepared by Mankiewicz will be presented to the Helsinki Conference of the Association in August 1966.

89. Op. cit., p. 749 et seq.Google Scholar

90. See “Space Law Becomes a Reality”, Paper presented to the Space Law Conference of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law on the 4th May, 1965.

91. See the Paper “Some Observations on the Present Legislative Procedure applied to Outer Space”, presented by the present writer to the sixth Colloquium of the International Astronautical Federation, held in Paris September 1963; See also Cooper, “Aerospace Law—subject matter and terminology”, Journal of Air Law and Commerce, Spring 1963Google Scholar; McDougal, , Lasswell, , Vlasic, op. cit., p. 350Google Scholar; Chaumont, , Annuaire de l'Institut de Droit International, 1963, II, p. 76.Google Scholar

92. A Draft Convention on Damage caused by Foreign Flightcraft to third Parties on the Surface (the term “Flightcraft” embracing both aircraft and spacecraft) will be presented by Berezowski to the Helsinki Conference of the International Law Association in August 1966.