The method of delimitation of maritime boundaries changed with time. Between 1969 and 1982 the International Court of Justice decided these matters upon 1958 Geneva conventions and international custom. The years 1982 to 1994 saw entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the year 2009 — the landmark Black Sea ruling (Romania v Ukraine, judgment of 3 February 2009).

While the method is straightforward, the delimitation itself is a fairly complicated process. The article deals with that second phase. The author explains the concept of special circumstances — a rather indistinct notion composed of geographical (mostly) and non-geographical factors.

The article analyses in this context some recent delimitation cases regarding the Black Sea and the Carribbean (Nicaragua v Colombia), and the Bay of Bengal case, where the judgment was delivered by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (Bangladesh v Myanmar, judgment of 14 March 2012).