Karim on 'Piracy and Maritime Terrorism Involving Autonomous Ships’

Professor Md Saiful Karim of the University of Southern Queensland School of Law and Justice has published a new paper titled 'Piracy and Maritime Terrorism Involving Autonomous Ships'.  The paper appears as a chapter in Natalie Klein, Douglas Guilfoyle, Md Saiful Karim, Rob McLaughlin (eds) Maritime Autonomous Vehicles and International Law: Maritime Security Perspectives (Routledge, 2025).  Here is the abstract:

"Maritime violence using autonomous or remotely controlled ships has been increasing in recent years. This shift has raised concerns regarding the adequacy of the international legal framework for combating piracy and maritime terrorism where such crimes involve autonomous or remotely controlled ships (MASS). The International Maritime Organization’s regulatory scoping exercise did not involve a comprehensive analysis of the implications of autonomous or remotely controlled ships for the international law on piracy and maritime terrorism. That exercise instead concluded that there are no significant legal issues in respect to maritime security for MASS, particularly as regards the 1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation. The law on piracy was not considered at all. Nonetheless, the legal issues relating to piracy and maritime terrorism arising from autonomous ships warrant scrutiny. The economic and human costs of reactive law-making are illustrated by the Achille Lauro incident, which later led to the creation of the first maritime terrorism convention. Waiting for a similar major piracy or terrorism incident involving an autonomous ship before embarking on a comprehensive examination of the relevant international law relating to piracy and maritime terrorism is deeply fraught. Against this background, this chapter examines the implications of autonomous ships for the laws of piracy and maritime terrorism."