Staff profile

I joined Durham Law School in February 2025. My research is generally focussed on the protection of the marine environment under international law and international dispute settlement. 

My PhD entitled 'Safeguarding the community interest in the protection of the marine environment in areas under national jurisdiction' was awarded in 2024 by the University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia. During my PhD I was employed as a Teaching Fellow and taught International Environmental Law and Legal Concepts, Research and Writing. 

Prior to my PhD, I was a research associate in the Oceans Law and Policy team at the National University of Singapore Centre for International Law (2017-2019). In 2016 I was Tipstaff (judicial assistant) to Justice Nicola Pain of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales, Australia. I am admitted to practice as a solicitor in New South Wales, and completed my practical legal training at the Environmental Defenders Office, a public interest environmental law centre. 

I hold an LLM (Law of the Sea) from UiT, the Arctic University of Norway, and an LLB(Hons)/BA(Environmental Studies) from the University of New South Wales. 

Chapter in book

• Marine Protected Areas
  
  McCreath, M. (2025). Marine Protected Areas. In D. R. Rothwell, E. T. Bloom, S. Lalonde, & J. McGee (Eds.), Elgar Concise Encylopedia of Polar Law. Edward Elgar.
• Climate change, the Anthropocene and ocean law: Mapping the issues
  
  McCreath, M., & Freestone, D. (2020). Climate change, the Anthropocene and ocean law: Mapping the issues. In J. McDonald, J. McGee, & R. Barnes (Eds.), Research Handbook on Climate Change, Oceans and Coasts (pp. 49-80). Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788112239.00009
• The potential for UNCLOS climate change litigation to achieve effective mitigation outcomes
  
  McCreath, M. (2020). The potential for UNCLOS climate change litigation to achieve effective mitigation outcomes. In J. Lin & D. A. Kysar (Eds.), Climate Change Litigation in the Asia Pacific (pp. 120-143). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108777810.007
• Challenges for the establishment of marine protected areas in response to Arctic marine operations and shipping
  
  McCreath, M., & Brigham, L. (2018). Challenges for the establishment of marine protected areas in response to Arctic marine operations and shipping. In L. P. Hildebrand, L. W. Brigham, & T. M. Johansson (Eds.), Sustainable Shipping in a Changing Arctic (pp. 297-322). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78425-0_17

Edited book

• High Seas Governance: Gaps and Challenges
  
  Beckman, R., McCreath, M., Roach, J. A., & Sun, Z. (Eds.). (2018). High Seas Governance: Gaps and Challenges. Brill.

Journal Article

• Community interests and the protection of the marine environment within national jurisdiction
  
  McCreath, M. (2021). Community interests and the protection of the marine environment within national jurisdiction. International and Comparative Law Quarterly, 70(3), 569-603.
• Dispute concerning the delimitation of the maritime boundary between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire in the Atlantic Ocean (Ghana/Côte d’Ivoire): Implications for the Law of the Sea
  
  McCreath, M., & Scanlon, Z. (2019). Dispute concerning the delimitation of the maritime boundary between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire in the Atlantic Ocean (Ghana/Côte d’Ivoire): Implications for the Law of the Sea. 50, 1-22.
• Report of the Conference on Climate Change and the Law of the Sea: Adapting the Law of the Sea to Address the Challenges of Climate Change
  
  McCreath, M. (2018). Report of the Conference on Climate Change and the Law of the Sea: Adapting the Law of the Sea to Address the Challenges of Climate Change. The International Journal of Marine and Coastal Law, 33(4), 836-846.
• Prospects for the future use of ITLOS ad hoc special chambers following the Ghana/Cote d’Ivoire Case
  
  McCreath, M., & Scanlon, Z. (2018). Prospects for the future use of ITLOS ad hoc special chambers following the Ghana/Cote d’Ivoire Case. Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals, 17(2), 309-334.