JURISDICTION OF CRIMES ON BOARD

Abstract

We have often viewed various Media that depict various criminal activities occurring on board Planes. However, much like most popular media, a large amount of misinformation about such activities and any jurisdiction that may govern them have been caused as a direct result. The paper attempts to simplify and clarify exactly who holds the jurisdiction to trial over any crimes committed on board Aeroplanes. Much like with crimes committed aboard sea vessels in the high seas, it is often assumed that the captain, or otherwise highest ranked Individual is considered the ultimate authority in such cases. Such misconceptions need clarification, and this paper will attempt to do so. The main question and purpose of this paper, will be to simplify, and attempt to answer specifically exactly what jurisdiction exists that may cover any crimes committed on board aeroplanes. Much of the legislation on the topic is contained within the Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft, Signed at Tokyo, on 14 September 1963, Popularly known as the Tokyo Convention of 1963. The need for such a convention was in response to the wave of hijackings in 1958 where aircrafts were hijacked and used to divert to the US and vice versa in the 1961 wave of Hijackings there was a wave of diversions of aircraft from the United States to Cuba. To prevent further aircraft diversions, the Legal Committee of the ICAO met in Rome in 1962 to draft a convention on the subject of crimes committed on board an air-craft in international flight. This draft known as the Rome Draft was submitted to the States of the world for comment and a diplomatic conference was convened in Tokyo in the year 1963 for final approval.