Reform Proposals: Part 1, Apply the SUA Convention to Piracy

This chapter examines the proposed application of the prevailing international law regarding maritime terrorism, as embodied in the SUA Convention, to maritime piracy. The main advantage of this Convention over the Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is the basis in international law for prosecuting acts of piracy, is that the SUA Convention contains features that would substantially increase international enforcement efforts. Among other things, these include a requirement for signatory nations to extradite and prosecute offenders, something that the Law of the Sea does not currently require. It appears that the main impediment to the application of the SUA Convention to piracy is its stated intent of addressing terrorism specifically, which apparently is perceived as a more serious threat than piracy.