Counter-Pirate Private Armed Security Teams: The Economist Take

That the world of armed private security teams on ships is complicated will not be a surprise for those who have taken a look at Maritime Private Security: Market responses to piracy, terrorism and waterborne security risks in the 21st century, edited by Patrick Cullen and Claude Berube, but The Economist tries its hand at pointing out some of the legal ramifications of the those armed private security teams in its piece, "Piracy and private security: Laws and guns":

The idea may seem simple but its legal framework is not. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea a ship’s crew, including guards, must abide by the home laws of a vessel’s flag state. But these vessels ply international waters, meaning that regulation is scant. An array of standards created since 2009 suggests good practice for private security teams, but none is legally binding.

Yes, the world can be confusing place, what with all those different countries and their conflicting laws . . .