The Institute provides suitably qualified candidates with the opportunity to undertake advanced training, study and research in international maritime law. It facilitates research through appropriate programmes for the effective global implementation of international conventions and other international instruments towards improved safety at sea, maritime security and prevention of marine pollution.

In order to promote the integration of women in the formulation of national and international legislative instruments, fifty percent of the places on the Institute’s programmes are reserved for suitably qualified women candidates.

The ability of all States, particularly that of developing States, to implement international conventions and instruments adopted by the IMO and other relevant international organisations is the Institute’s paramount consideration. It is recognised that all States must have an appropriate legal infrastructure for the reception of international rules of law into their domestic legal systems. Such infrastructure must also provide adequate machinery for the review, revision and modification of the applicable legislation, thereby allowing the municipal body of laws to keep abreast of international developments.

For these reasons the State, as well as the relative shipping industry, requires the services of selectively trained legal personnel having specialisation in maritime law. IMLI provides this specialized training through its different programmes and courses.

Programmes and Courses

The Institute offers a variety of programmes and courses:

1. IMLI offers a programme leading to the degree of Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Maritime Law. The main purpose of the programme is to train legal advisers in relevant areas of international maritime law, including the law of the sea, marine environmental law, maritime security law, and shipping law. The duration of the programme is one academic year, beginning in mid-September and ending in May of the following year. The programme is intensive and features taught courses, research work and a number of field trips. Particular emphasis is placed on the acquisition by students of legislative drafting skills for the incorporation and implementation of international instruments, especially those developed by IMO, into domestic legislation.
2. IMLI offers a programme leading to the degree of Master of Humanities (M.HUM.) in International Maritime Legislation. The programme is open to candidates who hold an undergraduate degree from a recognized university or other academic institution in a related discipline to international maritime law. The M.Hum. programme was established to meet the needs of States to have trained specialists in international maritime law, especially legislative drafting, to effectively discharge their obligations and ensure that national legislation meets the international standards adopted by the IMO and other international organizations.
3. IMLI offers a Research Degree programme leading to the award of the Degree of Magister Juris (M.Jur.) in International Maritime Law and the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in International Maritime Law. Candidates are expected to undergo their studies in IMLI’s Research Degree programme with a high degree of independence; thus, the programme can be largely undertaken from abroad. Candidates are assigned individual academic supervisors drawn from a list of internationally recognized experts.
4. IMLI also offers an Advanced Diploma programme in International Maritime Law. Distinguished for its flexibility, this programme is designed to benefit professionals involved in maritime practice both in the private and in the public sector (including at the most senior levels) who, because of their careers, are unable to be away from their jobs for a longer period of time. The programme is based on a credit system and can be undertaken between one and five years.
5. The Institute offers short courses throughout the academic year. These self-contained courses form part of the Master’s programmes modular system and are designed for applicants who are not able to attend IMLI for a whole academic year or for longer periods and are particularly interested in a specific area of the law.

IMLI has often been required by governmental and international bodies to organize specialized short courses, which focus on subjects covered by the IMLI academic syllabi. In such cases courses are tailor-made to meet the specific requirements of the organizers and inform them of the latest developments on the law in their areas of interest.