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."

War of the Roses in space?

[burtosis]

Whoever owns the rights to the module you have to enter/leave by is going to win this one.

What do you mean I can't have more air?

How about

[Chabil Ha']

the law of common decency?

right....

[superwiz]

Law? As in rules of civil society? How bout acknowledging the fact that there is no society on a space station and not giving in to lawyers who are trying to con people into thinking that their contribution is necessary in a situation where "law" is, in fact, the least efficient way to solve problems?

Nobody's

[plasmacutter]

there are at most a dozen people up there at one time.

one dozen people in a floating school bus don't need laws about drivers licenses, aircraft operation, housing codes, or logging regulations (maybe one day we'll have Treeees Innnnn Spaaace, but not today)

it's not as if anyone can anonymously commit crimes up there, and if anyone gets really rowdy they can have a nice, cold, explosive time "out".

International waters

[P3NIS_CLEAVER]

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

Re:International waters

[Buran]

'Cause that's not what the treaty says must be done.

Re:crime? what about birth?

[nebaz]

What citizenship can be claimed by people born on the high seas?

Re:crime? what about birth?

[mortonda]

Probably the flag the are legally sailing under.

Re:We clearly also need...

[geekoid]

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