Marini: Pirateria marittima e diritto internazionale

Luca Marini has published Pirateria marittima e diritto internazionale (G. Giappichelli Editore 2016). Here's the abstract:

Il presente volume si affianca a quello intitolato 'Società militari private e contractors nel diritto internazionale', anch'esso edito da Giappichelli, con l'intento di diffondere, come è nel costume e negli scopi universitari, i risultati di ricerche condotte nell' ambito degli insegnamenti di diritto internazionale e di diritto dell'Unione europea attivi presso la Facoltà di Economia dell'Università di Roma 'La Sapienza' e finalizzate all'analisi di fenomeni e problematiche di rilevanza internazionale. Fino a qualche tempo fa, alcuni di questi fenomeni - ed è il caso della pirateria - si ritenevano in via di estinzione o del tutto scomparsi e comunque sottratti alla ribalta mediatica, nonché all'attenzione dell' opinione pubblica. Le cronache degli ultimi anni (si pensi all'incidente che ha coinvolto, in India, i fucilieri italiani di marina) dimostrano, invece, che i pirati godono di ottima salute e che il loro rinnovato attivismo è dovuto, almeno in parte, alle stesse cause che sono alla base dell'incontrastato successo dei contractors: l'espansione dei traffici commerciali conseguente al consolidamento del mercato globale, la diluizione dello Stato-apparato, la crescente rilevanza delle attività svolte dai privati e l'impatto da esse prodotto sull'ordinamento internazionale.

Oehmke: Der Einsatz privater Sicherheitsdienste auf Handelsschiffen zur Abwehr gegen Piraterie

Christiane Oehmke has published Der Einsatz privater Sicherheitsdienste auf Handelsschiffen zur Abwehr gegen Piraterie: Eine Analyse unter Aspekten des Völkerrechts und des deutschen Rechts (Nomos 2016). Here's the abstract:

Auf einer breiten Literaturbasis analysiert die Autorin das komplexe Regime aus Völkerrecht, transnationalen Standards und nationalem Recht, in dem sich der Einsatz privater Sicherheitsfirmen auf Handelsschiffen abspielt. Zentrale Fragen sind: Welche Rechte und Pflichten haben Firmen, Reedereien und Kapitäne sowie die involvierten Staaten? Wo bestehen Rechtsunsicherheiten bzw. -lücken? Wie sollte eine weitergehende Regulierung erfolgen? Im Fokus der Analyse steht das mehrpolige Verantwortungsgefüge, das sich v.a. aus dem Seevölkerrecht und den Menschenrechten ergibt und durch transnationales Recht sowie das deutsche Verfassungs-, Gewerbe- und Strafrecht erfüllt und ergänzt wird. Die Autorin macht praktische Vorschläge zur Verbesserung der regulatorischen Rahmenbedingungen. Zugleich leistet sie weiterführende Beiträge zu grundlegenden Fragen der Menschenrechtsdogmatik wie zur Theoriendebatte um transnationale Regulierung. Die umfassende Aufbereitung schwer zugänglichen Materials macht die Arbeit zu einer Fundgrube für alle, die sich mit dem Thema befassen.

This work analyses the complex interplay between international, transnational and national law that governs the use of private security companies (PSCs) in combating piracy. The author addresses the following key questions: What are the rights and duties of PSCs, ship owners and captains as well as those of the nation states involved? Are there legal uncertainties or gaps? How can the regulatory framework be improved? In the analysis, special emphasis is put on the multipolar structure of responsibilities arising from the international law of the sea and international human rights law, complemented by transnational standards and German constitutional, public and penal law. The work proposes concrete regulatory reforms. At the same time, it makes valuable contributions to fundamental questions concerning human rights law doctrine and the theoretical debate on transnational law. Its comprehensive examination of research material makes this work a treasure trove for anyone interested in the topic.

Ali: Maritime Security Cooperation in the Gulf of Guinea: Prospects and Challenges

Kamal-Deen Ali has published Maritime Security Cooperation in the Gulf of Guinea: Prospects and Challenges (Brill | Nijhoff 2015). Here's the abstract:

In Maritime Security Cooperation in the Guinea: Prospects and Challenges, Kamal-Deen Ali provides ground-breaking analyses of the maritime security situation in the Gulf of Guinea and its implications for shipping, energy security, sustainable fisheries as well as national and regional security. The book juxtaposes the growing strategic importance of the Gulf of Guinea against the rising insecurity in the maritime domain, especially from piracy. Ali points out key gaps in prevailing regional and international approaches to maritime security cooperation in the Gulf of Guinea and sets out several suggestions for combating piracy as well as other maritime security threats while effectively enhancing maritime security cooperation in the region.

Scharf, Newton, & Sterio: Prosecuting Maritime Piracy: Domestic Solutions to International Crimes

Michael P. Scharf (Case Western Reserve Univ. - Law), Michael Newton (Vanderbilt Univ. - Law), & Milena Sterio (Cleveland State Univ. - Law) have published Prosecuting Maritime Piracy: Domestic Solutions to International Crimes (Cambridge Univ. Press 2015). Contents include:

• Sandra Lynn Hodgkinson, The governing international law on maritime piracy
• Sandra Lynn Hodgkinson, The incorporation of international law to define piracy crimes, national laws, and the definition of piracy
• Ved P. Nanda, Exercising universal jurisdiction over piracy
• Milena Sterio, Incorporating international law to establish jurisdiction: a comparative examination of the laws of the Netherlands, South Korea, Tanzania, India, and Kenya
• Laurie R. Blank, The use of force against pirates
• Mark V. Vlasic & Jeffrey DeSousa, The use of force by private parties against suspected pirates
• Frederick Lorenz & Laura Eshbach, Transfer of suspected and convicted pirates
• Milena Sterio, Pirates' right to a speedy trial
• Frederick Lorenz & Kelly Paradis, Evidentiary issues in piracy prosecutions
• Michael A. Newton, Piracy and the problem of 'command responsibility'
• Jon Bellish, The issue of juvenile piracy
• Eugene Kontorovich, The problems of pirate punishment
• Yvonne M. Dutton, The potential for asylum seeking by convicted pirates
• Michael P. Scharf, Conclusion

Petrig: Human Rights and Law Enforcement at Sea: Arrest, Detention and Transfer of Piracy Suspects

Anna Petrig (Univ. of Basel) has published Human Rights and Law Enforcement at Sea: Arrest, Detention and Transfer of Piracy Suspects (Brill | Nijhoff 2014). Here's the abstract:

Law enforcement at sea has become an increasingly important tool for combating transnational crime. Such law enforcement operations are commonly directed by multinational missions composed of military rather than police forces, and are often carried out in maritime areas not subject to national jurisdiction. Because of these characteristics, maritime law enforcement operations touch upon many unresolved human rights issues. In the present study, counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and in the Indian Ocean serve as the quintessential example of how law enforcement measures taken at sea may fall short of international human rights standards.

An unprecedented number of national and multinational missions have been deployed to counter the phenomenon of piracy off the coast of Somalia and in the region. Their mandate includes the arrest, detention and transfer for prosecution of piracy suspects. The book at hand examines the procedures pertinent to the decision whether to release piracy suspects, prosecute them in the seizing State or transfer them to a third State, and the detention regime pending such decisions. The study provides a critical analysis of the compatibility of these procedures with international law, first and foremost human rights law. Using piracy as an example, it demonstrates that the characteristics of national and multinational law enforcement at sea may lead to a deviation from certain human rights standards – standards that the States in question readily accept and apply in their land-based, territorial law enforcement operations. At the centre of the analysis are two unique case studies, which provide insight into the arrest, detention and transfer procedures in both a multinational context and a purely interstate setting.

Fournier: Der Einsatz der Streitkräfte gegen Piraterie auf See

Johanna Fournier has published Der Einsatz der Streitkräfte gegen Piraterie auf See (Nomos 2014). Here's the abstract:

Seit 2008 bekämpfen deutsche Streitkräfte Piraten vor der Küste Somalias, wobei sich verschiedene verfassungs- und völkerrechtliche Fragen stellen. Während das Völkerrecht ein militärisches Vorgehen zur Abwehr von Piratenangriffen gestattet, setzt vor allem das Grundgesetz hier Grenzen.

In diesem Werk wird unterschieden zwischen unilateralen und multilateralen Einsätzen zur Pirateriebekämpfung. Die Untersuchung ergibt, dass erstere gegen das Grundgesetz verstoßen. Anknüpfend an das Trennungsgebot zwischen Polizei und Bundeswehr erarbeitet die Autorin einen Änderungsvorschlag für die zentrale Norm. Multilaterale Einsätze hingegen sind innerhalb von Systemen gegenseitiger kollektiver Sicherheit verfassungsrechtlich legitimiert. Die Autorin erörtert weshalb auch die Europäische Union und mit ihr die Operation Atalanta ein solches System darstellt. Abschließend befasst sich das Werk auch mit den Rechtsfragen, die sich bei der Festnahme von Piraten durch deutsche Streitkräfte stellen.

Koutrakos & Skordas: The Law and Practice of Piracy at Sea

Panos Koutrakos (City Univ. London - Law) & Achilles Skordas (Univ. of Bristol - Law) have published The Law and Practice of Piracy at Sea (Hart Publishing 2014). The table of contents is here. Here's the abstract:

This collection of essays provides a comprehensive assessment of the legal and policy approaches to maritime counter-piracy adopted by the EU and other international actors over the last few years. As the financial cost of Somali piracy for the maritime industry and the world economy as a whole was estimated to have reached $18 billion by 2010, the phenomenon of piracy at sea has steadily grown in significance and has recently attracted the attention of international policy makers. Moreover, piracy is intrinsically linked to state failure and other pathologies bred by it, such as organised crime and terrorism.

This book adopts a holistic approach to the topic, examining approaches to piracy as these emerge in different geographical areas, as well as tackling the central issues which counter-piracy raises in terms of the most topical aspects of international law (international humanitarian law and armed conflict, piracy and terrorism, use of force). It also focuses on the approach of the EU, placing counter-piracy in its broader legal context. Providing a detailed doctrinal exploration of the issues which counter-piracy raises, it emphasises and draws upon the insights of the practice of counter-piracy by bringing together academic lawyers and the legal advisers of the main actors in the area (EU, US, NATO, UK).

The book raises fundamental questions about the law and practice of international law: are the rules of the international law of the sea on piracy still relevant? To what extent has the shared interest of international actors in tackling piracy given rise to common practices? Do the interactions among the actors examined in the book suggest fragmentation or unity of the international legal order? Is it premature to view these interactions as signalling the gradual emergence of global law in the area? This common analytical frame of reference is underlined by the concluding part, which draws these threads together.

Conference: End Game! An International Conference on Combating Piracy

On September 6, 2013, the Case Western Reserve University School of Law will host a conference on "End Game! An International Conference on Combating Piracy." The program is here. Here's the idea:

For the moment pirate attacks are down, but piracy continues to present a major threat to world shipping. Even with greatly expanded patrolling by international navies and increased use of private security forces, there have been 48 pirate attacks, 448 seamen were held hostage by pirates, and global economic losses due to piracy topped 5 billion dollars in the last twelve months. Meanwhile, renewed political turmoil in Somalia and Yemen is sowing the seeds for a fresh generation of pirates with increasingly deadly tactics. This conference brings together two-dozen of the world’s foremost counter-piracy experts to analyze the novel legal challenges and options related to this new phase in the fight against piracy.

Guilfoyle: Modern Piracy: Legal Challenges and Responses

Douglas Guilfoyle (Univ. College London - Law) has published Modern Piracy: Legal Challenges and Responses (Edward Elgar Publishing 2013). The table of contents is here. Here's the abstract:

Modern Piracy is the first book to survey the law of maritime piracy from both public law and commercial law perspectives, as well as providing a contextual overview of piracy in major hotspots. Topics covered include issues of international law, law-enforcement cooperation, private armed security, ransoms, insurance and carriage of goods by sea. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the range of legal issues presented by the modern piracy menace and will be of interest to scholars and practitioners alike.

BIICL: Piracy, Terrorism and War: Clarifying the Concepts Involved

On November 6, 2012, Douglas Guilfoyle (Univ. College London - Law) will speak at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law on "Piracy, Terrorism and War: Clarifying the Concepts Involved." Nihan Unlu (International Maritime Organization) will be the discussant.

Kontorovich: The Penalties for Piracy: An Empirical Study of National Prosecution of International Crime

Eugene Kontorovich (Northwestern Univ. - Law) has posted The Penalties for Piracy: An Empirical Study of National Prosecution of International Crime. Here's the abstract:

This Article examines the sentences imposed by courts around the world in prosecutions of Somali pirates captured on the high seas. Somali piracy has become perhaps the highest-volume area of international criminal law by national courts. As with other international crimes, international law is silent on the subject of penalties. The large number of parallel prosecutions of offenders from a single international “situation” offers an empirical window into the interactions between international and national law in municipal courts; into factors affecting punishment for international crimes and the hierarchy of international offenses; and of course into potential concerns with the current model of punishing piracy.

Using a new data set of all Somali piracy sentences in foreign courts, the Article finds that the global average sentence for piracy is 16 years, equivalent to the average penalties for more serious human rights offenses in international courts. Yet few pirates receive the “average” sentence. The Article finds massive variance in sentences imposed in Somali pirate cases around the world, ranging from four years to life for substantively similar conduct. There are roughly two kinds of sentencing jurisdictions – lenient and strict. The former includes European countries, the latter primarily the United States and Asian states. The gulf in sentencing between these two rough groups is quite significant. Finally, regression analysis of particular sentencing factors shows that the particular characteristics of the offenses account for some, but not the majority of variation in sentences. Most variation that can be accounted for can be attributed the characteristics of the prosecuting state, not the prosecuting crime.

Trésoret: Seepiraterie

Michael Trésoret has published Seepiraterie: Völkerrechtliche, europarechtliche und verfassungsrechtliche Rahmenbedingungen der Auslandsentsendung deutscher Streitkräfte zur Bekämpfung der Seeräuberei (Nomos 2011). Here's the abstract:

Im Rahmen der Vereinten Nationen und der Nato beteiligt sich die Bundeswehr auch an Militäraktionen gegen Seepiraterie. Der Autor beschäftigt sich umfassend mit den rechtlichen Grundlagen.

Geiss & Petrig: Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea

Robin Geiss (Univ. of Potsdam - Law) & Anna Petrig (Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law) have published Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea: The Legal Framework for Counter-Piracy Operations in Somalia and the Gulf of Aden (Oxford Univ. Press 2011). Here's the abstract:

Since 2008 increasing pirate activities in Somalia, the Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean have once again drawn the international community's attention to piracy and armed robbery at sea. States are resolved to repress these impediments to the free flow of trade and navigation. To this end a number of multinational counter-piracy missions have been deployed to the region.

This book describes the enforcement powers that States may rely upon in their quest to repress piracy in the larger Gulf of Aden region. The piracy rules of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the legal safeguards applicable to maritime interception operations are scrutinized before the analysis turns to the criminal prosecution of pirates and armed robbers at sea. The discussion includes so-called shiprider agreements, the transfers of alleged offenders to regional states, the jurisdictional bases for prosecuting pirates, and the feasibility of an international(ized) venue for their trial. In addressing a range of relevant issues, this book presents a detailed and comprehensive up-to-date analysis of the legal issues pertaining to the repression of piracy and armed robbery at sea and assesses whether the currently existing legal regime is still adequate to effectively counter piracy in the 21st century.

Roach: Suppressing Somali Piracy – Next Steps

J. Ashley Roach (formerly, U.S. Department of State) has posted an ASIL Insight on Suppressing Somali Piracy – Next Steps.

van Ginkel & van der Putten: The International Response to Somali Piracy

Bibi van Ginkel (Netherlands Institute of International Relations) & Frans-Paul van der Putten (Netherlands Institute of International Relations) have published The International Response to Somali Piracy: Challenges and Opportunities (Martinus Nijhoff Publishers 2010). Contents include:

• Bibi van Ginkel & Frans-Paul van der Putten, Introduction: The International Response to Somali Piracy
• Roger Middleton, More than Just Pirates: Closing the Space for Somali Pirates through a Comprehensive Approach
• J. Peter Pham, The Failed State and Regional Dimensions of Somali Piracy
• Kees Homan & Susanne Kamerling, Operational Challenges to Counterpiracy Operations off the Coast of Somalia
• Per Gullestrup & May-Britt U. Stumbaum, Coping with Piracy: The European Union and the Shipping Industry
• Douglas Guilfoyle, The Legal Challenges in Fighting Piracy
• James R. Holmes, The Interplay between Counterpiracy and Indian Ocean Geopolitics,
• Bibi van Ginkel & Frans-Paul van der Putten, Conclusion: Challenges and Opportunities