Territorial Waters Jurisdiction Act, 1878.

This Act declares an offence committed by a person, whether British or foreigner, on the open sea within the territorial waters of Her Majesty's dominions, to an offence within the jurisdiction of the Admiral. The person who committed such offence may be arrested, tried and punished accordingly. Section 3 places a restriction on institution of proceedings for punishment of offence committed by foreigners. Nothing in this Act contained shall be construed to be in derogation of any rightful jurisdiction of Her Majesty or to affect or prejudice any jurisdiction conferred by Act of Parliament or now by law existing in relation to foreign ships or in relation to persons on board such ships. The territorial waters of Her Majesty's dominions” here means such part of the sea adjacent to the coast of the United Kingdom, or the coast of some other part of Her Majesty's dominions, as is deemed by international law to be within the territorial sovereignty of Her Majesty; and for the purpose of any offence declared by this Act to be within the jurisdiction of the Admiral, any part of the open sea within one marine league of the coast measured from the low-water mark shall be deemed to be open sea within the territorial waters of Her Majesty's dominions.