RRU Gujarat VC Dr Bimal Patel takes oath as ITLOS judge in Hamburg

Gandhinagar/Hamburg: Indian international law jurist and scholar Dr Bimal N. Patel took oath as a Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) at the tribunal’s headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, on Thursday.

Patel began his nine-year term on October 1, 2026, marking a new phase in his career spanning international law, law of the sea, maritime governance, legal scholarship and institution-building.

He was elected as a member of ITLOS on June 18, 2026, during the 36th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Seven members were elected to the tribunal during the meeting.

ITLOS consists of 21 independent members elected by states parties to UNCLOS. Judges are elected from among persons recognised for their fairness, integrity and competence in the field of the law of the sea, with due regard to geographical representation and the world’s principal legal systems.

As per a press release, Patel has contributed extensively to international law, particularly in the areas of the law of the sea, maritime governance, international adjudication and state responsibility. He has served as a member of the United Nations International Law Commission (ILC) and chaired its Working Group on Succession of States in respect of State Responsibility.

He has also held several national and international positions, including membership of India’s National Security Advisory Board and the Committee on Antarctic Governance. He is Co-Chair of the Law of the Sea Interest Group of the American Society of International Law and a member of the High-Level Advisory Board of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Patel has also worked on legal and regulatory frameworks concerning India’s maritime domain, including maritime anti-piracy, Antarctic governance, merchant shipping, private maritime security, deep seabed activities and admiralty jurisdiction.

Academic and institutional contributions

Alongside his international law work, Patel has played a role in legal education and institution-building in India. He has been associated with the development of institutions including Gujarat National Law University and Gujarat Maritime University and currently serves as Vice-Chancellor of Rashtriya Raksha University.

He has authored or edited more than 25 books and numerous research papers and scholarly publications covering various areas of international law.

Patel assumes office at a time when the law of the sea is increasingly relevant to issues such as maritime boundaries, freedom of navigation, marine environmental protection, sustainable use of ocean resources, deep seabed activities and the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, established under UNCLOS and headquartered in Hamburg, adjudicates disputes concerning the interpretation and application of the Convention. Its jurisdiction covers matters including maritime delimitation, navigation, marine resources and the protection and preservation of the marine environment. DeshGujarat