The use of sea and air is common to all; neither can a title to the ocean belong to any people or private persons, forasmuch as neither nature nor public use and custom permit any possession therof.

Elizabeth I
The use of sea and air is common to all;...
The use of sea and air is common to all;...
The use of sea and air is common to all;...
The use of sea and air is common to all;...
About This Quote

The use of sea and air is common to all; neither can a title to the ocean belong to any people or private persons, forasmuch as neither nature nor public use and custom permit any possession therof. This quote by Lord Chief Justice Hale says that we cannot own the oceans. The oceans belong to all the peoples of the world, and they cannot be owned by any particular group of people. In order to own something, it must be possessed.

In order to possess something, there must be a physical location for it to be kept in. However, the oceans exist from land to land, from one continent to another. So, there can’t be any physical location that belongs to a single person or group of people because there is no place on Earth where the oceans stop.

Source: Letters

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