The territorial principle (also territoriality principle) is a principle of public international law which enables a sovereign state to exercise exclusive jurisdiction over individuals and other legal persons within its territory.
[2] The Lotus case was a key court ruling on the territoriality principle.
The Permanent Court of International Justice ruled, by a bare majority, that Turkey had jurisdiction to try the French naval lieutenant for criminal negligence, even though the incident happened beyond Turkey's boundaries.
[3] This case extended the territoriality principle to cover cases that happen outside a state's boundaries, but have a substantial effect on the state's interests or involve its citizens.
[3] Questions have surfaced regarding how the territoriality principle applies with the rise of globalization and the Internet.