What To Do
Among the thorny questions facing maritime and military lawyers is how modern-day pirates should be treated by Armed forces and other state authorities:
Are they criminals or foreign combatants? Can naval crews legally detain them, and if so, should they be accorded prisoner-of-war rights under the Geneva Convention? What about child pirates in the service of a pirate warlord? There are also concerns over the right of pirates to claim asylum if they are arrested.