Clipperton Island Case

Clipperton Island Case (France v Mexico) (1932)

FACTS: FACTS: France claimed to have occpied an island !t Mexico also claimed that Spain discovered it and that it "as the sccessor# Clipperton Island is an ninha!ited island coral atoll in the eastern $aci%ic &cean' soth"est o% Mexico' "est o% Costa ica and north"est o% alapa*os Islands' +,ador# The island "as discovered !- French# The- dre" p the %irst map and annexed it to France# The %irst scienti%ic expedition too. place in 1/20 nder Frenchman M# oca*e' "ho lived on the island %or several months# Mexico Mexico also also claime claimed d it de to activi activitie ties s ndert nderta. a.en en therei therein n as earlearl- as 141 1419 9## &n 5ovem!er 1/' 1858' 1858' +mperor 5apoleon III annexed it as part of the French colony of  Tahiti # This did not settle the o"nership ,estion# A%ter "hich' there "ere no apparent acts o% soverei*nt- on the part o% France# The island remained "ithot poplation# &n 5ovem!er 2' 19/' French naval athorities %ond three Americans "or.in* %or the American ano Compan-' "ho had raised the American %la*# 6#S# athorities denonced their act' assrin* the French that the- did not intend to assert American soverei*nt-# soverei*nt-#

Mexico and France si*ned a compromise in 1979' a*reein* to s!mit the dispte over soverei*nt- over Clipperton Island to !indin* ar!itration !- 8in* ictor +manel o% Ital-#

Isse: The isse is "ho' !et"een the France and Mexico' has the soverei*nt- over the Clipperton Island# +;<: For occpation -o also need to possess the land "hich France did# (Ar!itrator: 8in* ictor +mmanel III o% Ital-) =that island "as in the le*al sitation o% terratorim nllis' and' there%ore' sscepti!le o% occpation# The ,estion remains "hether France proceeded to an e%%ective occpation' satis%-in* the conditions re,ired !- international la" %or the validit- o% this .ind o% territorial ac,isition#>  It is !e-ond do!t that !- immemorial sa*e havin* the %orce o% la"' !esides the anims occpandi' the actal' and not the nominal' ta.in* o% possession is a necessar- condition o% occpation# This ta.in* o% possession consists in the act' or series o% acts' !- "hich the occp-in* state redces to its possession the territor- in ,estion and ta.es steps to exercise exclsive athorit- there# Strictl- spea.in*' and in ordinar- cases' that onl- ta.es place "hen the state esta!lishes in the territor- itsel% an or*ani?ation capa!le o% ma.in* its la"s respected# t this step is' properl- spea.in*' !t a means o% procedre to the ta.in* o% possession' and' there%ore' is not identical "ith the latter# latter# There ma- also !e cases "here it is nnecessar- to have recorse to this method# Ths' i% a territor-' !- virte o% the %act that it "as completel- ninha!ited' is' %rom the %irst moment "hen the occp-in* state ma.es its appearance there' at the a!solte and ndispted disposition o% that state' %rom that moment the ta.in* o% possession mst !e considered as accomplished' and the occpation is there!- completed#

There is no reason to sppose that France has s!se,entl- lost her ri*ht !- derelictio' since she never had the anims o% a!andonin* the island' and the %act that she has not exercised her athorit- there in a positive manner does not impl- the %or%eitre o% an ac,isition alread- de%initivel- per%ected#3 In 1931 ictor +manel issed his ar!itral decision in the Clipperton Island Case' declarin* Clipperton to !e a French possession#@23@2@20 The French re!ilt the li*hthose and settled a militar- otpost' "hich remained %or seven -ears !e%ore !ein* a!andoned#