‘Sea Law Phalanx’ initiative: Conference report

The ‘Sea Law Phalanx’ is a new initiative directed and promoted by the China Law Society which comprises eight domestic universities and has established a high-level collaborative scientific research organisation concerning sea law. This action is proposed to support coordinated innovation by the research society, uniting substantive institutions for scientific research purposes, to encourage decisiveness, in vigorously promoting the process of legal studies and the building of rule by law. In March 2016, Hainan University School of Law organised with the support of the China Law Society the “Sea Law Phalanx Conference” to bring together academics, policy makers and maritime law practitioners to examine developments and dispute resolution mechanisms in this field of research. We provide a brief report of the key issues discussed during the workshop which may assist in developing better understanding of dispute settlement mechanism in different regions and their application to decision-making processes.