The Supreme Court of the Seychelles, prosecuting cases of Somali pirates apprehended by various countries in the Indian Ocean, cited and quoted from a memo prepared by Vijyalakshmi Patel, a third-year student in our War Crimes Research Office. A path-breaking judgment in The Republic v. Mohamed Abdi Jama & Six Others, CS No. 53, July 25, 2012, at paras. 49-50, and drawing from the memo's research about 19th century slavery cases, the Supreme Court concluded that The Seychelles could exercise universal jurisdiction over a vessel and its crew found in possession of piratical equipment on the high seas under an expanded conception of attempt to commit piracy.

The Supreme Court of the Seychelles, prosecuting cases of Somali pirates apprehended by various countries in the Indian Ocean, cited and quoted from a memo prepared by Vijyalakshmi Patel, a third-year student in our War Crimes Research Office. A path-breaking judgment in The Republic v. Mohamed Abdi Jama & Six Others, CS No. 53, July 25, 2012, at paras. 49-50, and drawing from the memo's research about 19th century slavery cases, the Supreme Court concluded that The Seychelles could exercise universal jurisdiction over a vessel and its crew found in possession of piratical equipment on the high seas under an expanded conception of attempt to commit piracy.