The Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, 2022

2. Definitions.-

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

(a) "authorised personnel" means the officers and sailors assigned to warships or military aircraft of the Indian Navy or officers and enrolled persons of the Coast Guard assigned to ships or aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard or officers of the Central Government or the State Government authorised for any ship or aircraft clearly marked and identifiable as being on Government service;

(b) "Code" means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974);

(c) "Convention" means the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982;

(d) "Designated Court" means a Court of Session specified as such under section 8;

(e) "high seas" includes the Exclusive Economic Zone and all waters beyond the jurisdiction of any other State.

Explanation.-For the purposes of this clause, "Exclusive Economic Zone" means the Exclusive Economic Zone of any other State including the Exclusive Economic Zone of India;

(f) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette;

(g) "other State" means any country other than India;

(h) "piracy" means-

(i) any illegal act of violence or detention or any act of depredation committed for private ends by any person or by the crew or any passenger of a private ship and directed on the high seas against another ship or any person or property on board such ship;

(ii) any act of voluntary participation in the operation of a ship with knowledge of facts, making it a pirate ship;

(iii) any act of inciting or of intentionally facilitating an act described in sub-clause (i) or sub-clause (ii); or

(iv) any act which is deemed piratical under the international law including customary international law;

(i) "pirate ship" means a ship which-

(i) is intended by the person in dominant control to be used for the purposes of committing any of the acts referred to in sub-clauses (i) to (iv) of clause (h); or

(ii) has been used to commit any such act, referred to in sub-clause (i) of this clause, so long as it remains under the control of the person guilty of that act;

(j) "ship" means-

(i) vessel or water craft of every description, including non-displacement craft;

(ii) sea planes and other aircraft, used or capable of being used as means of transportation on water or engaged in any operations at sea.

Explanation.-For the purposes of this clause, "aircraft" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (1) of section 2 of the Aircraft Act, 1934 (22 of 1934);

(k) "stateless person" means a person who is not considered as a national by any country by virtue of its laws.

(2) The words and expressions used in this Act and not defined but defined in the Convention, the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), the Code or the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976 (80 of 1976), shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in such Convention, the Codes or the Act.

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