CRITICAL ANALYSIS ON INTERNATIONAL LAW’S FRAMEWORK TO PIRACY

Febryani Sabatira, Gustav Damgaard Knudsen, Belardo Prasetya Mega Jaya, Muhamad Uut Lutfi, Achmad Jaelani

Abstract


Piracy remains a formidable challenge to maritime security and global trade, thriving on jurisdictional ambiguities and exposing vulnerabilities in international governance. Despite its recognition under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC) as a crime of hostis humani generis subject to universal jurisdiction, significant gaps persist in its enforcement. The LOSC’s limitations, such as its strict criteria for defining piracy, often hinder effective prosecution. Supplementing this framework, the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA) Convention addresses critical shortcomings, including the jurisdictional constraints of the LOSC, by enabling broader prosecutorial scope and facilitating extradition agreements. However, its limited ratification by key maritime states undermines its potential impact. This study undertakes a critical analysis of these legal frameworks, highlighting their respective contributions and deficiencies in combating piracy. The analysis further emphasizes the urgent need for cohesive international collaboration, harmonized enforcement protocols, and the adoption of innovative legal mechanisms to counter the evolving nature of maritime piracy

Keywords


International Maritime Law; LOSC; Piracy SUA Convention; Universal Jurisdiction

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bauer, Paul J. “The Maritime Labour Convention: An Adequate Guarantee of Seafarer Rights, or an Impediment to True Reforms?” Chicago Journal of International Law 8, no. 2 (2008): 643–.

Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA Convention), opened for signature March 10, 1988, entered into force March 1, 1992, 1678 U.N.T.S., Art. 11(1).

Dr Lawrence. “International Law Regime against Piracy.” Annual Survey of International & Comparative Law 15 (2009): 46–57.

Fotteler, Marina Liselotte, Despena Andrioti Bygvraa, and Olaf Chresten Jensen. “The Impact of the Maritime Labour Convention on Seafarers’ Working and Living Conditions: An Analysis of Port State Control Statistics.” BMC Public Health 20, no. 1 (2020): 1.

Frawley, Shayna. “The Great Compromise: Labour Unions, Flags of Convenience and the Rights of Seafarers.” Windsor Review of Legal and Social Issues 19 (2005): 85.

Fuchs, Ilan. “Piracy in the 21st Century: A Proposed Model of International Governance.” Journal of Maritime Law and Commerce 51, no. 1 (2020): 3–8.

Gard. Crew Claims Report. (2024). Available at: https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1145359/Increase-in-incidents-of-deaths-at-sea [Accessed March 30, 2024].

Gerald Aldytia Bunga. “The Regulation of Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea in International Law.” Jurnal Hukum dan Peradilan 9, no. 3 (January 4, 2021): 436, https://doi.org/10.25216/jhp.9.3.2020.425-448.

International Chamber of Shipping. The Key Role of Seafarers in National Economies in a Net-Zero World. Institute of the Americas, 2023.

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, 1184 U.N.T.S. 2, concluded November 1, 1974, registered June 30, 1980.

International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, opened for signature July 7, 1978, 1361 U.N.T.S. 2, entered into force April 28, 1984.

International Labour Organization. “General Observations on Matters Arising from the Application of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, As Amended (MLC, 2006) During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Report, December 2020. Available at: https://www.ilo.org/wcsp5/groups/public/-ednorm/--normes/documents/publication/wcms_764384.pdf.

International Transport Workers Federation. STCW: A Guide for Seafarers. International Transport Workers Federation, 2014.

Josh Lamorena, March 30, 2024. “New IMB Report Reveals Concerning Rise in Maritime Piracy Incidents in 2023.” Available at: https://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php/1342-new-imb-report-reveals-concerning-rise-in-maritime-piracy-incidents-in-2023.

Marine Insight. “Stranded at Sea—Ship Ran Out of Diesel for Lighting; Crew without Wages for Months.” September 2020. Available at: https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/stranded-at-sea-ship-ran-out-of-diesel-for-lighting-crew-without-wages-for-months/.

McCabe, Robert. “Contemporary Maritime Piracy and Counter-Piracy.” In Routledge Handbook of Maritime Security, edited by Ruxandra-Laura Bosilca, Susana Ferreira, and Barry J. Ryan, 1st ed., 177. London: Routledge, 2022. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003001324-18.

Mitropoulos, E. “Pressing Safety Issues and the Work of the International Maritime Organization.” In Current Maritime Issues and the International Maritime Organization, edited by M.H. Nordquist and J. Norton, 45. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1999.

Musili Wambua. “A Critical Review of the Global Legal Framework on Piracy: 40 Years after UNCLOS.” Maritime Affairs: Journal of the National Maritime Foundation of India 18, no. 1 (January 2, 2022): 141–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/09733159.2022.2091020.

Muhammet Ebuzer Ersoy. “International Law of Sea Piracy.” International Journal of Law Reconstruction 3, no. 2 (September 22, 2019): 106. https://doi.org/10.26532/ijlr.v3i2.7791.

Putri Rizka Nurwijedah Kadir, Darwis Darwis, and Imam Fadhil Nugraha. “Tinjauan Hukum Internasional dalam Menangani Kasus Piracy Jure Gentium Berdasarkan Yurisdiksi Universal.” Konsensus: Jurnal Ilmu Pertahanan, Hukum dan Ilmu Komunikasi 1, no. 6 (December 2, 2024): 104–105. https://doi.org/10.62383/konsensus.v1i6.462.

Rytis Satkauskas. “Piracy at Sea and the Limits of International Law.” Aegean Review of the Law of the Sea and Maritime Law 1, no. 2 (October 2011): 218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12180-010-0013-3.

S. D. Tirtawati and J. Setiyono. “Menilik Penerapan Prinsip Yurisdiksi Universal Negara terhadap Kejahatan Perompakan di Laut Lepas Menurut Hukum Internasional.” Al-Daulah 10, no. 2 (2021): 121.

United Nations. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, opened for signature December 10, 1982, entered into force November 16, 1994, 1833 U.N.T.S. 3.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights. GA Res 217A (III), UN GAOR, UN Doc A/810 (December 10, 1948).




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.51825/tjil.v4i1.31049

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2025 Tirtayasa Journal of International Law

EDITORIAL ADDRESS
 
Faculty of Law, Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa
Jl. Raya Palka KM 3, Sindangsari, Kec. Pabuaran, Kab. Serang, Provinsi Banten       
Telp. (0254) 280330 Ext. 218, Fax.: (0254) 281254
Website: https://jurnal.untirta.ac.id/index.php/tirtayasatjil
E-mail  : [email protected] 
 
PROOFREADER

1. Prof Dr. Yudi Juniardi, M.Pd.
2. Dila Anggita, MPd
3. Dermawati, M.Pd


OPEN ACCESS POLICY

Tirtayasa Journal of International Law (TJIL) is an open access journal, so articles are freely available to the readers.

 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.