Concerning Sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh,
Middle Rocks and South Ledge (Malaysia v. Singapore)
The present decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) deals with the sovereignty of three land features located at the mouth of the straits of Singapore, between Malaysia to the north and Indonesia to the south. Sovereignty is defined as supreme power or authority and determining which state has that power over specific locations is a topic within international law. Figure 1 illustrates the location of the three land features, which will be called Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Putech (translates to “White Rock” from the Portuguese and Malaysian, respectively), Middle Rocks, ...
