Maritime Piracy: Nature, Impact and Legal Frameworks for Prosecution

Although recent cases of maritime piracy off the Somali coast have garnered a lot of media attention, little scholarly work has investigated the development of maritime piracy worldwide. This paper examines the legal framework that would allow for the prosecution of this international crime. Contemporary commissions of maritime piracy and their political, legal and economic contexts are reviewed in terms of how they affect the enterprise of private global shipping. The nature and impacts of this crime are reviewed. Finally, the reaction to this crime by the international community is discussed.