Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999

The Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999 is a statutory instrument of the United Kingdom, defining "the boundaries between waters which are to be treated as internal waters or territorial sea of the United Kingdom adjacent to Scotland and those which are not". It was introduced in accordance with the Scotland Act 1998, which established the devolved Scottish Parliament.

Defining jurisdictions

The territorial waters thus defined as Scottish waters come under the jurisdiction of Scots law, and are also used for defining the area of operation of the Marine Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and other Scottish Government agencies and public bodies. This is, for example, of importance to the Scottish fishing industry, the North Sea oil industry, and in the competing claims for the resources of the Rockall Trough.

The territorial waters thus defined as not being Scottish waters come under the jurisdiction of either English law or Northern Ireland law. Therefore, because it defines the territorial limits of the three separate jurisdictions, it comprises a piece of constitutional law in the constitution of the United Kingdom.

See also

• Anglo-Scottish border

External links

• The Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999
• Map of the boundary defined in the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999
• 26 April 2000 - Official Report of debate regarding the Order in the Scottish Parliament
• Scottish Executive - press release, 9 Dec 1999
• Scottish Ministers' proposals for the designation of marine boundaries in coastal and transitional waters