Piracy : a critical examination of the definition and scope of piracy and the issues arising therefrom that affect : the legal address of the crime globally.

Abstract

Piracy: A critical examination of the definition and scope of piracy, and the legal issues arising there-from that affect the successful address of piracy globally. This thesis looks into the effectiveness of the existing legal maritime regime in fighting piracy worldwide. It goes to determine the extent to which the problem of modern day maritime piracy is related to the inadequacies brought about by the limitations in the definition of piracy as given by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 10 December 1982, and the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). It makes great allusion to the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA) Convention, 1988 to discuss such issues as the duty of states to cooperate to suppress piracy, jurisdictional issues relating to capture, detention and prosecution of pirates amongst other aspects that affect the successful legal address of piracy globally. These aspects include international cooperation in terms of willingness, the application of Human Rights Law as well as reconciling public and private interests generally. It rounds up with proposals as to the way forward in resolving the issues raised and examined in the work.