Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Innocent passage is a term used in international law that refers to the right of a foreign ship to travel through another country's territorial waters without paying a toll. This right is guaranteed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as long as the passage is not harmful to the peace, good order, and security of the coastal country. The ship must also follow local regulations and not do anything that could disturb the peace of the coastal state. It's like when you walk through a park, you have the right to walk through it as long as you don't harm anything or anyone.
Definition: Innocent passage is the right of a foreign ship to pass through a country's territorial waters without paying a toll. This right is guaranteed in Article 17 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The passage is considered innocent as long as it does not harm the peace, good order, and security of the coastal country. The ship must follow local regulations for navigation and pilotage and must not do anything that could disturb the tranquility of the coastal state.
Examples: A ship from Japan is traveling to the United States and needs to pass through the territorial waters of China. As long as the ship follows the rules and does not pose a threat to China's security, it has the right of innocent passage. Another example is a cargo ship traveling through the Panama Canal. The ship has the right of innocent passage and does not have to pay a toll as long as it follows the rules and does not harm the peace and security of Panama.
Explanation: Innocent passage is a right that allows foreign ships to pass through another country's territorial waters without paying a toll. However, the ship must follow local regulations and not pose a threat to the coastal country's security. The examples illustrate how a ship can exercise the right of innocent passage as long as it follows the rules and does not harm the peace and security of the coastal state.