Legal Definitions - jus navigandi

Jus navigandi, a Latin term, refers to the fundamental legal right to navigate or travel by sea and other navigable waterways. This right encompasses both the freedom of movement for vessels and the ability to conduct commercial activities, such as trade and transportation, across these waters. It is a principle often recognized in international law, facilitating global commerce and communication.

• International Commercial Shipping: A shipping company based in Singapore operates a fleet of cargo vessels that transport goods between continents. One of their ships, carrying automobiles, needs to pass through a busy international strait to reach its destination port in North America. The principle of jus navigandi ensures that this vessel has the right to navigate through these international waters and straits without arbitrary obstruction from coastal states, thereby enabling the smooth flow of global trade.
• Landlocked Nation's Access to Sea: Country X is a landlocked nation that relies heavily on maritime trade for its economic prosperity. It negotiates a treaty with its coastal neighbor, Country Y, granting Country X the right to use a specific port within Country Y's territory and to transport goods through a designated corridor in Country Y's territorial waters. This agreement formalizes Country X's exercise of jus navigandi, securing its vital access to the sea for commercial purposes despite lacking its own coastline.
• Freedom of Passage Through International Waters: A powerful nation declares a large section of international waters, historically used as a major shipping lane, as a "no-go zone" for all foreign vessels due to ongoing military exercises. Other nations, whose commercial fleets regularly use this route, would invoke the principle of jus navigandi to challenge this declaration. They would argue that the freedom of navigation in international waters is a customary right that cannot be unilaterally suspended, protecting their vessels' ability to traverse these waters for trade and other legitimate purposes.