International Law Association, Commission on Aerial Law

At its international conference in 1906 at Ghent, the Association adopted the doctrine that the air is free and that states have only such rights over it in time of peace and in time of war as are necessary for their conservation.

The 27th Conference of the International Law Association was held in Paris 27 May-1 June 1912 in the Palace of Justice. It is said that for the first time, there were three papers presented on aerial law and representatives were present from the Aero Clubs of France, Great Britain, Spain, and Hungary. Gillaume Desouches, representing the Aero Club of France, espoused the principle that the air must escape the sovereignty of of subjacent nations. Paul Fanchille of the Institute of International Law spoke on the work accomplished by that organization and the Comite Juridique International de l'Aviation towards the confection of an international aerial code. H. D. Hazeltine of Cambridge University argued in favor of the recognition of of absolute sovereignty over aerial navigation by the subjacent nation. The discussion that followed culminated in the appointment of a Commission on Aerial Law of the International Law Association. The Association refused to restrict the Commission by the adoption of any fundamental principle, such as that of free navigation of the air. The Commission was to prepare a report upon the whole matter for Association's meeting at Madrid in 1913.

Sources

• 61/2 University of Pennsylvania Law Review (Dec. 1912) 91, 95-96; 7 American Journal of International Law 470-496 (1913)

Organization names	International Law Association, Commission on Aerial Law
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Started aero	1912
Ended aero
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