Crime in Space

Discussion in 'Astronomy, Exobiology, & Cosmology' started by Orleander, Jul 8, 2007.

  1. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    I was watching a show about a crime in international waters aboard a cruise ship and all the legal crap that went on.
    If I'm in the international space station and I kill a cosmonaut, who has jurisdiction? Unlike the ship, the station isn't owned by one person/company. Unlike the ship, the station isn't going to dock.
     
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  3. eburacum45 Valued Senior Member

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  5. eburacum45 Valued Senior Member

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    You might be interested in this;
    United Nations Treaties and Principles on Space Law
     
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  7. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    Since when does anyone follow a rule the United Nations set up.

    Who owns the International Space Station?
     
  8. the Radio Star Banned Banned

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    It would be hard to kill someone on the ISS. It would be dangerous to star a fight, and you probably wouldn't want to fire a gun, either. So poisoning is all I can think of.

    It won't let me link to Wikipedia for another 14 posts. Type in International Space Station, and in the Table of Contents click Legal aspects.
     
  9. Oli Heute der Enteteich... Registered Senior Member

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    Poison, strangulation. blunt instrument, smothering, suit "accident", electrical fault, "accidental" compartment decompression, martial arts (blow to the throat for one), pencil through the temple... many many ways to kill a human without a gun.
     
  10. the Radio Star Banned Banned

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    How do you do it without endangering your own life while on the ISS? It's a pretty sensative environment. Smash the window out and you're about two seconds from eternity.
     
  11. Oli Heute der Enteteich... Registered Senior Member

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    Smash windows?
    How about an over-ride on the air lock while the inter-section doors are closed?
    Humans are phenomenally good at finding ways of getting rid of other humans.
     
  12. phonetic stroking my banjo Registered Senior Member

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    The windows are probably quite tough. I doubt they launch something into space with single glazing.

    I'd kill them in their sleep. Twist their neck or jab the palm of your hand upwards on their nose, forcing it into their brain. Or, send the poor sod out to do some repairs and cut his cords.
     
  13. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    damn guys. lol I wasn't asking how to kill someone is space. I was asking where I would be prosecuted.
    If Canada owns a piece of it, could I say the crime was committed on Canadian ground therefore I wouldn't get the death penalty? Canada won't extradite to the US if is a death penalty case. And if I killed a Russian, maybe they want me in their courts.
    Anyone know what jurisdiction would be?
     
  14. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    24,690
    Are there any oil rigs outside of our (or anybody's) territorial waters? How would a crime there be prosecuted?

    They can get an American for committing a crime outside the country by getting evidence that he "conspired" to do it while he was here. Conspiracy has been a crime since the Mafia days and the conspiracy laws are probably the easiest to abuse.

    There's a U.S. flag on the moon. If someone committed a crime in its vicinity I'm sure the U.S. court system would assume jurisdiction on the theory that it's American soil, "claimed" for us by the explorers who "discovered" it.
     
  15. the Radio Star Banned Banned

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    Negative. There are international treaties declaring that the Moon is not the territory of any nation.
     
  16. orcot Valued Senior Member

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    Not really no but they won't be pleaced if you stapped someone with it.
     

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