Commentary on provisions of the Act Offences and Civil Sanctions Section 51: Application of criminal law to spacecraft etc
This section relates to acts or omissions taking place on a spacecraft or carrier aircraft that has been launched from the United Kingdom. Subsection (1) provides that such acts or omissions, if constituting an offence in the United Kingdom, will also constitute an offence on board a spacecraft or carrier aircraft when such a craft is outside the United Kingdom. No offence would occur if any act or omission is expressly or impliedly authorised under the law of the United Kingdom. Section 92(3) of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 also applies to offences committed on aircraft.
	Any relevant acts or omissions are deemed to have been committed in the United Kingdom. Jurisdiction is conferred on the United Kingdom criminal courts to try any alleged offences (subsection (4)).