Section 1. Short title, commencement and application

1. Short title, commencement and application.—( 1 ) This Act may be called the Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, 2022. (2) It shall come into force on such date[1] as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. (3) The provisions of this Act shall apply to the high seas. 1. 22[nd] day of February, 2023, vide notification No. S.O. 802(E), dated 22[nd] February, 2023, see Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, sec. 3(ii). (iv) any act which is deemed piratical under the international law including customary international law; (i) "pirate ship" means a ship which— (i) is intended by the person in dominant control to be used for the purposes of committing any of the acts referred to in sub-clauses (i) to (iv) of clause (h); or (ii) has been used to commit any such act, referred to in sub-clause (i) of this clause, so long as it remains under the control of the person guilty of that act; (j) "ship" means— (i) vessel or water craft of every description, including non-displacement craft; (ii) sea planes and other aircraft, used or capable of being used as means of transportation on water or engaged in any operations at sea. Explanation.— For the purposes of this clause, "aircraft" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in clause (1) of section 2 of the Aircraft Act, 1934 (22 of 1934); (k) "stateless person" means a person who is not considered as a national by any country by virtue of its laws. (2) The words and expressions used in this Act and not defined but defined in the Convention, the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), the Code or the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976 (80 of 1976), shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in such Convention, the Codes or the Act.