Short Biography:
Chris was born in London and attended Ipswich School in Suffolk before joining the Royal Navy in 1965.
He spent 30 years as a hydrographic surveyor in the Royal Navy serving throughout the world. During the last ten years of his naval career he specialised in the technical aspects of the law of the sea advising the UK Government and the Ministry of Defence on matters concerning limits, boundaries and freedom of navigation issues.
In 1996, on retirement from the Royal Navy Chris joined the Hydrographic Office to head the newly formed Law of the Sea Division. He was now able to expand this business worldwide on a commercial consultancy basis with considerable success leading a small team of experts in this specialist field. His Division provides technical interpretation of all matters relating to the determination and application of maritime zones, boundaries and on the law of the sea issues worldwide to all departments of the UK Government, and on a commercial basis to foreign Governments, law firms, academia and industry. He has taken part in many boundary negotiations, both bilateral and third party adjudication, and has done a considerable amount of work for the United Nations.
He is a Chartered Surveyor, former chairman of the IHO/IOC/IAG Advisory Board on the law of the sea (ABLOS), a visiting professor in Law at Durham University, an Honorary Visiting Fellow of the University of Southampton, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation, a member of The Hydrographic Society, The International Law Association, The British Institute of International and Comparative Law and The Greenwich Forum.
Maritime Interests:
All technical aspects of the law of the sea including freedom of navigation issues, the determination of maritime zones and boundaries worldwide.