This work reflects the law as it stood, to the best of the author's knowledge, on 14 August 2008, unless otherwise indicated. The discussion of piracy off Somalia, however, was updated to cover the numerous developments to 31 December 2008. In quoted material some spellings may have been regularised for consistency with the general text. On occasion, the author's translation of certain material is presented as a quotation. In such cases the original text is presented in the footnote.

An earlier draft of Chapters 2 and 9 was published as ‘Maritime interdiction of weapons of mass destruction’ (2007) 12 Journal of Conflict and Security Law 1. The case study on Somali piracy in section 4.1.8 was first published as ‘Piracy off Somalia: UN Security Council Resolution 1816 and IMO regional counter-piracy efforts’ (2008) 57 International and Comparative Law Quarterly 690. Earlier versions of the author's arguments relating to the law of countermeasures in Chapter 6, section 6, and Chapter 10, section 3.2, appeared as ‘Interdicting vessels to enforce the common interest: maritime countermeasures and the use of force’ (2007) 56 International and Comparative Law Quarterly 69.

All website addresses were accurate as at 14 August 2008.