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Whose Laws Apply On the ISS?
Hugh Pickens writes "Whose laws apply if astronauts from different countries get into a fight, make a patentable discovery, or damage equipment belonging to another country while on the International Space Station? According to the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, ratified by 98 nations, states have legal jurisdiction within spacecraft registered to them. When the space station was assembled from modules supplied by the United States, Russia, Japan and the European Space Agency (ESA), partners rejected an initial proposal that US law should prevail throughout the space station. "It was agreed that each state registers its own separate elements, which means that you now have a piece of the US annexed to a piece of Europe annexed to a piece of Japan in outer space, legally speaking," said Dr Frans von der Dunk of the International Institute of Air and Space Law at the University of Leiden. So what happens if a crime is committed in space? "If somebody performs an activity which may be considered criminal, it is in the first instance his own country which is able to exercise jurisdiction," Dr. von der Dunk added."
Didn't he invent the "Coffee and Donut" combination?
a Federation.
..the winner makes the law. Duh.
I had hoped that astronauts would be above this, but, nobody seems to be above anything nowadays.
If a crime is committed in space, we need to execute a nice antique trial-by-fire... if they survive decompression, they must be innocent. If not, they're guilty. It's foolproof!
You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
Let Sealand claim it :)
Bark less. Wag more.
So when are the Dutch sending up the hydroponics section again?
Still think be more amusing to have it be whoever you're currently flying over. "3-2-1-Not Legal!"
Originally had thought it really didn't matter, seeing as they 'rigorously screen astronauts'...but after the Diaper Psycho incident, this might come to be of importance soon enough. Bugger of a wait for trial if something happens on a Mars mission though.
Urgent! Do NOT GO into the module made by the United States.
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
Astronauts don't break the law....
Oh wait...
What happens if you have a joint in the Dutch module and some jolly fellow pushes you over in the Singapore module? Do you get spaced?
Victims of 9/11: <3000. Traffic in the US: >30,000/y
I foresee the international trial of the century wherein American astronauts are accused of stealing pencils from the Russians after their own space aged pens die.
Brannigans Law
Jesus saves souls and redeems them for valuable cash prizes
we wish to cecede from the planet.....? Actually that doesn't sounds like to bad of an idea as messed up as it is.
Insert funny smart-ass comment here.
In Space, no one can hear you scream Habeus Corpus. :)
We used to joke that, technically, cosmonauts who launched from Baikonur and landed at Canaveral were exactly that.
1.) Provide each astronaut a handgun of personal choice
2.) Place astronauts back-to-back in the center of the longest capsule on board
3.) If velcro boots are provided, order each astronaut to take ten steps toward the edge of the capsule. If not, approximate 10 seconds of floating in opposite directions before turning and firing.
4.) In the event the space station is still intact and both parties are still alive, review tape footage and declare the astronaut with the most matrix-like moves the winner.
-Rob
Biblical fiscal responsibility
In Soviet Russian module, the Party determines the laws.
Have gnu, will travel.
So far its only tenent is that "No one can hear you scream," but they're working on it.
If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?
Provided their hammer is bigger than yours, of course.
I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.
The MPAA can pursue it, but they need to show up in person.
Space truly is the final frontier [of litigation].
More Twoson than Cupertino
because when the borg attack I shall use lawyers as my shield.
Let the borg assimilate that.
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
Why don't they simply carry their passports around, making sure that they get a stamp everytime they enter or leave a compartment? They should also set up extradition treaties in case the American murderer of the Russian cosmonaut hides in the Japanese compartment. Of course, if he manages to reach the American compartment, where he can't be extradited, the Russians may decide to decompress the station, which would force the murderer into the Russian escape pod. Sounds like a space soap opera, and more beneficial to humankind than all this research jabberjibber that noone understands.
I propose building a wall around our ISS modules. I am tired of illegal space men crossing our borders to steal our resources. Although on the upside at least we do not give them drivers licenses.
$diff terrorists hippies
$
$rm -rf *terrorists *hippies
What would they trade for foodstuffs? And water. And oxygen. And any number of other things.
The nation's chief export will be zero gravity porn.
But they will have to get more attractive citizens.
Remember, You are unique...just like everyone else.
Dude, dogs were first. Those astronauts better be prepared to sniff some ass...
My blog. Good stuff (when I remember to update it). Read it.
A good start.