On Mon, 2 Jun 2025 21:50:48 +0100, SH <
i.love@spam.com> wrote:
A crime happens in Country A.
The Victim is from Country B.
I fully understand that Country A has a full legal right to investigate >crimes committed on its soil irrespective of the nationility of the
victim(s) and/or the suspect(s)
Two questions arise: Does Country B really have the jurisdiction to >investigate a crime committed in country A on the basis that the victim
is a national of Country B?
A country C believes that one of its Nationals is a suspect in the crime >committed in country A. Does Country C really have the jurisdiction to >investigate a crime committed overseas and hence outside their territory >against a victim that is a national of a 3rd overseas country, also
outside of theior territory?
Many countries have legislation with extraterritorial effect. If they
believe that a crime has been committed by, or against, one of their
citizens then they have the jurisdiction to investigate it. What they do not have is the power to force a foreign state to cooperate with that investigation, and they do not have the power of arrest outside their own territory. Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as an "International arrest warrant", and no state has enforceable investigatory powers outside its own territory. But, provided they do not break any local laws in the process, there is nothing to stop an agency from one country carrying out an investigation in aother. When working outside their own territory they are, in effect, acting as private detectives.
Having said that, there is an established framework by which law enforcement agencies cooperate on matters of mutual concern. This often involves
officers from one jurisdiction working with officers from another
jurisdiction in pursuit of shared goals. A very common example of that,
albeit preventative rather than investigative, is during major football tournaments such as the World Cup when police officers from countries
involved in the event are seconded to the police force of the host nation in order to help combat hooliganism. And another example is the one I think you are thinking of, when a crime under investigation has potential cross-border aspects and it's in everyone's interests to cooperate in getting to the
bottom of it all.
TV viewers of a certain vintage may recall that one episode of The Bill, "Foreign Body", was based on this premise and was set primarily in France.
Mark
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