Britain Orders Royal Navy to NOT detain Pirates --

[Maverick]

Isn't it grand when a criminal has rights yet the victims do not.
 

[Engine]

Since when did Great Britain stop hanging pirates? Nelson would be shamed.

[cpxxx]

A rather absurd position to take but not surprising. The RN's reputation has taken a battering in recent years, particularly after the debacle with the Iranians.

A possible solution to the problem might be by the use of 'Q' ships, ironically invented by the British. A U boat might spot an innocent looking merchantman and surface to attack it only find the covers stripped off from several big guns on the ship.

It would work well with pirates too. Maybe the French would consider the idea since the British will obviously replace them soon as the butt of surrender jokes.

[Hornet33]

As long as the RN doesn't bring the pirates onboard a RN ship they can't request asylum as they are not "on" British territory. Send over the boarding party and keep them onboard the ship they pirated. Escort that ship into port and turn the bastards over to the locals. Don't arrest them under international law, just detain them. Let the locals arrest them for piracy. Problem solved from the legal standpoint.

Oh wait they're worried about the moral implications. Only suggestion I have for that is to grow a set.

I wonder what would happen if say, a bunch of ex Navy guys got together and bought a small cargo ship, outfitted it with heavy machine guns, and just went tooling around down there for a couple of months?

[Dowding]

Oh wait they're worried about the moral implications. Only suggestion I have for that is to grow a set.

Grow up.

This is/ not about moral obligations, it's about legal obligations. British forces must work within the bounds of UK law. Get over it.

[Hornet33]

Grow up.

This is/ not about moral obligations, it's about legal obligations. British forces must work within the bounds of UK law. Get over it.

And how are those laws written?? They are written by people who want to make sure they do nothing to offend anyone i.e. we don't want anyone to die because of us so we wont turn over anyone to a country where they might be harmed or killed. Grow a set.

[Dowding]

It's a shame yours seem to be defying gravity, my friend.

Western democracies hold themselves to be examples of justice and tolerance - that is why these laws exist. I'd rather live under British law than some pseudo-legal system of some African banana republic with their assorted cruel and unusual punishments. Perhaps you should go live there if you see their system as an improvement?

[Hornet33]

My point is they are NOT British citizens so they should be subject to the laws from their own countries, but Britian it seems doesn't want to let those countries handle their people in their own courts. Am I missing something here?

[Dowding]

Yes, you are missing the key reason why the British government will not extradite - they view the legal system in question to be inferior, specifically with regards to the use of the death penalty. It views the American system in the same way, and therefore has a treaty with the US to negate that part of US law.

[Maverick]

So the British Navy is superior then in refusing to deal with pirates? Yep that's the high ground there, as long as you aren't the one being dealt with by the pirates.

[Dowding]

That's not what I said. You can take the straw man down now.

[Hornet33]

Sure that's what your saying. The British system is superior and because you think that, you wont allow a anouther country to deal with criminals that are that countries citizens unless they meet your superior standards. Too bad your moral values get in the way of justice.

Pirates should be tried at sea by the captain of a flagged capital ship, hung from the yard arm if found guilty, and dumped at sea for shark food. But that's just me and my backward way of thinking I guess. Then again the British used to do that before they went soft. Wonder what happened.

[straffo]

you wonder what happened ? ,perhaps like the US ,UK signed the UN charter but choose to respect it.

[Angus]

Arrrr, harrrrf, where is the nine-tailed cat when you need one?

[Maverick]

you wonder what happened ? ,perhaps like the US ,UK signed the UN charter but choose to respect it.

And the UN's solution is??

How many pirates has this charter deterred? I'm sure the folks who are taken by the pirates are very happy that the charter is doing it's job.