IMO issues instructions for shipmasters to gather evidence of crimes

摘要

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has issued new guidelines instructing masters on how to preserve and collect evidence if a serious crime has occurred on board a ship, but attorneys familiar with maritime criminal law say mariners should be wary of getting too involved with a criminal investigation unless asked. The guidelines were created by the IMO's legal committee in April 2013 and a resolution adopting them was approved at the organization's 28th Assembly this past December in London. According to the text of the guidelines, they are designed to assist masters in handling shipboard crimes until law enforcement can take over. Included are sample forms for taking witness statements and properly collecting and labeling evidence. One sample shows how a master would properly label a knife used by an alleged perpetrator in the crew mess.