Abstract
‘It’s Scotland’s oil.’ This Scottish National Party (SNP) electoral slogan encapsulates the importance of oil in the debate on Scotland’s constitutional future. In contrast therefore, the decision by the SNP-led Scottish Government in 2013 to apparently give up a claim to around 6,000 square miles of territory in the North Sea, encompassing several oilfields, is puzzling. This article contends that any dispute over North Sea boundaries would have resulted in unwelcome legal and diplomatic uncertainties for a putative independent State. The Scottish Government therefore may have taken the pragmatic decision to sacrifice this portion of its territory in favour of stability and certainty.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
