The award of the arbitral tribunal in the Southern Bluefin Tuna case relates to two principal themes of Judge Oda's professional life: third-party settlement of disputes, and the law of the sea. Judge Oda's attainments in the latter sphere are renowned. His attainments as a judge of the ICJ are no less acknowledged, but merit this comment from a former colleague. Judge Oda's work at the Court has been distinguished by its industry, its insight and its independence. Judge Oda masters the file; no detail escapes him. He probes, he thinks, and he sees points that others sometimes have not. He thinks for himself, and says what he thinks, fearlessly and independently. That has been repeatedly demonstrated in the work of the Court of the last quarter century. As a friend of Judge Oda for some fifty years, and a Court colleague for nineteen years, it is a privilege and pleasure to join in contributing to a Festschrift in his honor.

The Southern Bluefin Tuna case is of high interest in several respects. It was rendered by the first arbitral tribunal constituted pursuant to Annex VII of the Third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It confronted issues of considerable complexity and significance. The parties – Australia and New Zealand versus Japan – are States whose contributions to international law and life are outstanding. They were represented by counsel of extraordinary skill; their arguments were a pleasure to read and hear.