The Institute was founded in 1983 originally as the “Institute of Marine Law” with the primary focus on teaching, researching and monitoring developments in marine law both at the international level and in the context of southern Africa. In 1993 an environmental law unit was established within the Institute and in 1999 the Institute was renamed the Institute of Marine and Environmental Law to reflect its activities in both marine and environmental law. The Institute is located within the Department of Public Law of the Faculty of Law and has a close association with the Shipping Law Unit within the Department of Commercial Law