CAN A CRIME BE COMMITTED IN OUTER SPACE? – BY JOHN DAVID

THE JURISDICTION OF WHO CAN ENTERTAINED SUCH OFFENCES.

INTRODUCTION

It’s a fact that where human exist, crime’s as well sojourn there, if we must be truthful to ourselves, humans are carried of various criminal activities, intentionally or unintentionally, the sea and the outer space where human exist are not excluded,
Why it might seem disbelief to many given that humans are presently in space and soon enough mass space tourism is going to open up the possibility for many, so what exactly happen if someone does commit a crime in space, could you say murder and get away Scott free since no one watches the few astronaut who are in space, some of the sub- headings are:

(1) Does crime happen in space.
(2) Are they Laws which regulates those in space.
(3) Who has jurisdictions to entertain criminal activities in space.
(4) who investigate such crime’s.

DOES CRIMES EVER HAPPEN IN SPACE.
To begin with, while you might think it can’t actually be possible to commit a crime in space, or you can possibly escaped from your wrong, unlike the earth, you’d wrong, much like the myth that you can do whatever you want in international Waters, because no country holds sway, when a crime happen in space you get arrested when you eventually returned. NASA is currently investigating what could be considered the first crime perpetrated in space, after one of the agency’s astronauts was accused of illegally accessing her wife’s bank account during her stay on the International Space Station.
Summer Worden accused her estranged wife, NASA astronaut Anne McClain, of accessing Worden’s bank account without permission from the ISS, (international space station) where McClain was living for six months,
McClain claims that it was a routine occurrence, to make sure that the couple had enough money to pay their bills. The legal dispute is still murky, and seems to be wrapped up in a deeply personal separation that McClain didn’t want disclosed to the media.
Investigators have yet to decide if the event actually constitutes a crime, but this case does raise questions about how we should handle criminal activity in space in the future.

2 ARE THEY LAWS WHICH REGULATE THOSE IN SPACE.

There are five significant international treaties which serves as law’s namely :

• Outer Space Treaty
•The Rescue Agreement
•The Liability Convention
• The Registration Convention
• The Moon Agreement
All these come under the United Nations Office Of Outer Space Affairs. Amongst them, the Outer Space Treaty is more important in terms of crimes committed in outer space.

3, WHO HAS JURISDICTION TO ENTERTAIN CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES IN SPACE.

IT is to be noted that no country owns the outer space, so if crimes are committed, then Articles VIII of the outer space treaty Act 1967 will be activated.
Article viii of that treaty says:
“A state party to the treaty on whose registry an object is launched into outer space is carried shall retained jurisdiction and control over such object and over any person’s thereof, where in outer space or on a celestial body”
One of the world’s leading space lawyer Joanne gabrynowicz outline such scenario for people on the international space station.
So even should in case you renounce your citizenship and be abroad your own vessels that likewise has no ties to any nation, you won’t still escape freely, most especially if you did anything serious against someone who still have citizenship with some nation, you would face prosecution for any crime’s, perhaps via an international criminal court or if such crime is committed on international space station, then the place of the space station where the crime is committed can defined the jurisdiction.
The outer space treaty is very clear that governments are responsible for what their commercial companies and private entities do in space. The document notes that each nation has “jurisdiction and control” over any registered object launched into space, as well as any personnel.

4, WHO INVESTIGATE SPACE OFFENCES,

When crime’s are committed on land security agencies and bodies investigate such crime which is been committed, this is unlike the outer space where No country or political entity owns space. State lines and political boundaries do not extend past the planet’s atmosphere. So then, what jurisdictions would come into play to investigate allegations of a space crime or handle a conviction, should evidence show that a crime in space had, in fact, been committed?
In other words, if a crime is committed on a craft belonging to a specific nation, that nation would have legal jurisdiction in the case and therefore investigate the person who committed the crime. For example the united state will investigate a crime committed by NASA ASTRONAUT, Russian will investigate a crime committed by RUSSIAN COSMONAUTS,
Nigerian will investigate a crime committed by NASRDA ASTRONAUT,

CONCLUSION
Crime’s occurs at every point and situations humans find themselves, because we live in a world of desperation , when such circumstances happen in outer space certain laws are enacted to deal with it

Reach Majesty john through
[email protected]
[email protected]