Title 46, ShippingRelease 119-102
§70505 Failure to Comply with International Law as a Defense
Title 46 › Subtitle VII — Security and Drug Enforcement › CHAPTER 705 — MARITIME DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT › § 70505
Summary
People charged under 70503 or facing civil enforcement under 70508 cannot use the claim that international law wasn't followed as their defense. Only a foreign nation can make that claim, and courts still decide the case.
Full Legal Text
Title 46, §70505
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A person charged with violating section 70503 of this title, or against whom a civil enforcement proceeding is brought under section 70508, does not have standing to raise a claim of failure to comply with international law as a basis for a defense. A claim of failure to comply with international law in the enforcement of this chapter may be made only by a foreign nation. A failure to comply with international law does not divest a court of jurisdiction and is not a defense to a proceeding under this chapter.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 7050546 App.:1903(d).Pub. L. 96–350, § 3(d), Sept. 15, 1980, 94 Stat. 1160; Pub. L. 99–570, title III, § 3202, Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3207–96; Pub. L. 99–640, § 17, Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3553; Pub. L. 104–324, § 1138(a)(4), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3989.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2008—Pub. L. 110–407 substituted “this title, or against whom a civil
Enforcement
proceeding is brought under section 70508,” for “this title”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
46 U.S.C. § 70505
Title 46, Shipping
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102