The Law and Practice of Piracy at Sea - by Panos Koutrakos & Achilles Skordas (Hardcover)

About the Book

This collection of essays provides a comprehensive assessment of the legal and policy approaches to maritime anti-piracy adopted by the EU and other international actors over the last few years.

Book Synopsis

This collection of essays provides a comprehensive assessment of the legal and policy approaches to maritime counter-piracy adopted by the EU and other international actors over the last few years. As the financial cost of Somali piracy for the maritime industry and the world economy as a whole was estimated to have reached $18 billion by 2010, the phenomenon of piracy at sea has steadily grown in significance and has recently attracted the attention of international policy makers. Moreover, piracy is intrinsically linked to state failure and other pathologies bred by it, such as organised crime and terrorism.

This book adopts a holistic approach to the topic, examining approaches to piracy as these emerge in different geographical areas, as well as tackling the central issues which counter-piracy raises in terms of the most topical aspects of international law (international humanitarian law and armed conflict, piracy and terrorism, use of force). It also focuses on the approach of the EU, placing counter-piracy in its broader legal context. Providing a detailed doctrinal exploration of the issues which counter-piracy raises, it emphasises and draws upon the insights of the practice of counter-piracy by bringing together academic lawyers and the legal advisers of the main actors in the area (EU, US, NATO, UK).
The book raises fundamental questions about the law and practice of international law: are the rules of the international law of the sea on piracy still relevant? To what extent has the shared interest of international actors in tackling piracy given rise to common practices? Do the interactions among the actors examined in the book suggest fragmentation or unity of the international legal order? Is it premature to view these interactions as signalling the gradual emergence of global law in the area? This common analytical frame of reference is underlined by the concluding part, which draws these threads together.

The book will be of interest to legal scholars, political scientists and international relations theorists, as well as decision-makers and students of law, politics and international relations.

Review Quotes

... an excellent contribution to the existing academic literature on maritime piracy...some of the book's chapters address issues of regional and national counter-piracy law and policy, which have not been comprehensively discussed by any previously published piracy materials...the book is extremely thorough and provides an excellent overall picture of the problems linked to the recent rise of maritime piracy. Its general comprehensiveness - the fact that it addresses most relevant topics of international law related to piracy, and that it also provides a unique level of detail about various regional and national counter-piracy approaches - transforms this book from a mediocre contribution to the existing literature on maritime piracy to a stellar discussion of existing anti-piracy efforts. Anyone wishing to learn more about the global problem of maritime piracy would benefit from reading this book.
ASIL Cables (the online daily reporter of the American Society of International Law)

...this is a handsomely produced and timely book, which brings analysis of the law of piracy fully up to date, incorporating the wealth of experience gained in combating Somali pirates over recent years. It represents a useful reference volume and is recommended.
Australian and New Zealand Maritime Law Journal

These works of high scholarship provoke serious thought on neglected subjects.
Frontline Magazine, October 31 2014 (review of this work and 'The Interception of Vessels on the High Seas'

About the Author

Panos Koutrakos is Professor of European Union Law at City University London.
Achilles Skordas is Professor of International Law at the University of Bristol.