Photo by Isaac Kohane, Flikr
The three Australian environmental activists detained on a Japanese whaling ship could face a wide range of charges and may even have broken Australian law, according to an international law expert from The Australian National University. Professor Donald Rothwell of the ANU College of Law says that there are a number of possible outcomes for the activists being held onboard the whaling vessel Shonan Maru 2 . "First, like the case of Pete Bethune in 2010, they may face a variety of charges under Japanese law," said Professor Rothwell. "Unauthorised boarding of a Japanese vessel is an act of trespass wherever that act may have taken place at sea. If the Japanese authorities decide to investigate and bring charges on these grounds, the Australians will find themselves being sent to Japan to face court. "Second, Australian law may have been broken by the unauthorised boarding. These laws include the Crimes (Ships and Fixed Platforms) Act 1992 , and the Crimes at Sea Act 2000 .
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