Territorial Waters Jurisdiction Act 1878
Encyclopedia
The Territorial Waters Jurisdiction Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c.73) is an Act
of the Parliament of Great Britain
. The long title
of the Act is "An Act to regulate the law relating to the Trial of Offences committed on the Sea within a certain distance of the Coasts of Her Majesty’s Dominions." It is still in force. It codifies the law relating to offences committed in the territorial waters
of the United Kingdom
, including crimes committed on foreign ships. Under section 7 of the Act, the applicable law is the law of England and Wales
, even if the offence is committed off the coast of Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Section 3 of the Act requires the consent of the Secretary of State
to prosecute someone under the Act if they are not a British subject
.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
. The long title
Long title
The long title is the formal title appearing at the head of a statute or other legislative instrument...
of the Act is "An Act to regulate the law relating to the Trial of Offences committed on the Sea within a certain distance of the Coasts of Her Majesty’s Dominions." It is still in force. It codifies the law relating to offences committed in the territorial waters
Territorial waters
Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most from the baseline of a coastal state...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, including crimes committed on foreign ships. Under section 7 of the Act, the applicable law is the law of England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
, even if the offence is committed off the coast of Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Section 3 of the Act requires the consent of the Secretary of State
Secretary of State (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, a Secretary of State is a Cabinet Minister in charge of a Government Department ....
to prosecute someone under the Act if they are not a British subject
British subject
In British nationality law, the term British subject has at different times had different meanings. The current definition of the term British subject is contained in the British Nationality Act 1981.- Prior to 1949 :...
.