Anti Maritime Piracy Bill 2019
Source : PRS
GS III : Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organized crime with terrorism
What is discussed under Anti Maritime Piracy Bill 2019 ?
- About the Order
- How it helps
Why in News ?
Bill enables Indian authorities to take action against piracy in the high seas. The Bill brings into law the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Key Facts
What is piracy and Pinishment under the law?
Bill defines piracy as any illegal act of violence, detention or destruction against a ship, aircraft, person or property, for private purposes, by the crew or passengers of a private ship or aircraft.
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- Piracy also includes inciting and intentionally facilitating such acts of violence, and voluntarily participating in the operation of a pirate ship or aircraft.
- Committing an act of piracy will be punishable with:
- Life imprisonment; or
- Death, if the act of piracy causes or seeks to cause death.
- Participating, organising, aiding, supporting, attempting to commit, and directing others to participate in an act of piracy will be punishable with up to 14 years of imprisonment, and a fine.
Area Covered
Bill will apply to all parts of the sea adjacent to and beyond the limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of India, i.e., beyond 200 nautical miles from the coastline.
- It will apply to the high seas, which is the area beyond 200 nautical miles from India’s coastline.
UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982)
- It is an international agreement that establishes the legal framework for marine and maritime activities.
- UN has no direct operational role in the implementation of the Convention.
- It divides marine areas into five main zones namely
- Internal Waters
- Territorial Sea
- Contiguous Zone
- Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
- High Seas.
- It is a set of rules to govern the oceans and the use of their resources. It is based on the idea that all problems related to oceans are interrelated and need to be addressed by the global community as a whole.
- UNCLOS governs all aspects of ocean space, including delimitation, environmental control, marine scientific research, economic and commercial activities, transfer of technology and the settlement of ocean-related disputes.
- Disputes can be submitted to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea established under the Convention, to the International Court of Justice, or to arbitration.
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