In a case of this nature jurisdiction plays a critical role. This is because any country filling applications with the ICJ must accept its compulsory jurisdiction. At the same time, the respondent state must accept the ICJ’s jurisdiction (Art. 36(2) ICJ Statute). Since 2002, Australia had deposited its declarations accepting the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ with the exception of any dispute “relating to the delimitation of maritime zones, including the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf” while Japan accepted the court’s jurisdiction in 2007. As a result, Japan contended that the court lacked jurisdiction to determine the application because it fell within Australia’s reservation contained in its declaration, which referred to disputes concerning “the delimitation of maritime zones”. However, the court overruled the objection on the ground that the subject matter of the case was not expressly related to the delimitation of maritime zones, although it could be argued that the delimitation of maritime zones was implied in the subject matter. Japan’s exploitation of whales for scientific research covered maritime areas under the sovereign jurisdiction of Australia or adjacent to it.