The Contiguous Zone is the zone of sea contiguous to the outer limit of the territorial sea and its limit
may not exceed 24 miles from the baselines, 14 which means that it extends 12 miles beyond the territorial
sea. Under UNCLOS, a coastal state may control the contiguous zone as may be necessary to prevent
infringement of its ‘customs, fiscal, immigration and sanitary laws’ and may punish offences that may be
committed in its territory or territorial sea. 15 The rationale behind this is to allow the coastal state to
prevent persons of criminal intent hovering just outside its territorial sea. Of course, the power is limited
to the four aspects mentioned above. The Commonwealth has given legislative effect to this jurisdiction
in the Seas and Submerged Lands Act 16 and it declared its contiguous zone in 1999.17