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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."

6 of 344 comments (clear)

  1. Dr. von der Dunk? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Didn't he invent the "Coffee and Donut" combination?

  2. We clearly need by dnormant · · Score: 5, Funny

    a Federation.

    1. Re:We clearly need by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I, for one, will welcome them...

  3. Crimes in space by Sarten-X · · Score: 5, Funny

    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!

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    You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
  4. International waters by P3NIS_CLEAVER · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why wouldn't they just follow protocols used by ships in international waters?

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  5. Re:We clearly also need... by geekoid · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is a fallacy to think you need faith in God to have morals and restraint. A dangerous fallacy.

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    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect