Our Book Cited in Völkerrechtsblog: A Milestone for 'Blue Crimes and International Criminal Law'

Citation in a Leading Forum on Public International Law

Vernon Press is pleased to share that Blue Crimes and International Criminal Law, edited by Regina M. Paulose (2025), has been cited in a recent contribution to Völkerrechtsblog, the widely respected online forum for public international law scholarship. The article, titled “Unanchoring Universality: A Case for Extending the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over Unregistered Vessels in International Waters” (31 October 2025), examines persistent jurisdictional gaps in the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s ability to address crimes at sea committed aboard unregistered vessels operating in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

The Article’s Discussion of Jurisdictional Gaps

In this piece, Konstantin Pfaff argues that the Rome Statute’s current jurisdictional framework offers no effective mechanism to address conduct occurring on vessels lacking a flag state. Because the ICC relies primarily on territoriality and nationality as gateways to jurisdiction, unregistered vessels in international waters remain effectively outside the Court’s reach. Pfaff contends that this lacuna undermines broader efforts to combat transnational maritime crimes and suggests that a move toward a more universal model of jurisdiction may be warranted. The article situates this problem within recent incidents at sea and reflects on the legal and practical implications of expanding the ICC’s mandate.

Relevance to Blue Crimes and International Criminal Law

The citation of Blue Crimes and International Criminal Law underscores the book’s contribution to emerging debates on maritime criminality, ocean governance, and the limits of existing international legal frameworks. The volume brings together leading scholars and practitioners to examine the growing category of “blue crimes,” including illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, marine pollution, trafficking, human rights violations at sea, and broader ecological harms that often fall outside traditional doctrinal boundaries. Through its interdisciplinary approach, the book highlights the complex interaction between environmental degradation, organised crime, corporate activity, human vulnerability, and the shortcomings of current international criminal law.

Contribution to Current Debates on High-Seas Accountability

Several chapters engage directly with the themes addressed in the Völkerrechtsblog article, particularly regarding accountability gaps in areas beyond national jurisdiction and the structural weaknesses that allow harmful conduct at sea to persist with relative impunity. By foregrounding the challenges of enforcement, evidentiary barriers, jurisdictional limitations, and the need for legal innovation, the volume offers a substantive framework for rethinking how the international legal system might evolve to meaningfully address wrongdoing in the world’s oceans.

Continuing Importance of the Volume

We are pleased to see this scholarship informing ongoing debate and contributing to renewed consideration of how international criminal law can respond to crimes committed in maritime contexts. Blue Crimes and International Criminal Law is available through Vernon Press and continues to serve as an important resource for researchers, practitioners and policymakers concerned with the future of ocean governance, marine justice, and the pursuit of accountability at sea.

Title Blue Crimes and International Criminal Law [Hardback]
Edition 1st
ISBN 979-8-8819-0240-7
Published in July 2025