“On November 3, 2057, representatives from countries worldwide, major space agencies, and international organizations like the UNOOSA and UN, came together for a historic event. They all signed the Universal Space Criminal Justice Act (USCJA), a significant treaty aimed at promoting justice and peace in space.
The USCJA recognized the need to protect space from criminal activities and established clear rules and criminal offenses applicable in the cosmic realm. It ensured that everyone, regardless of their background, would be entitled to fair trials and due process for any crimes committed in space.
The attendees acknowledged the challenges of space exploration but were optimistic about overcoming them through cooperation and shared resources. They saw space advancements as not just a means of exploration but also beneficial for life on Earth.
The signing of the USCJA marked a new era of unity and collaboration in space exploration. It aimed to foster partnerships and transcend borders, as everyone recognized that space belongs to all of humanity.
With the USCJA in place, the world looked forward to exploring the cosmos with a renewed sense of hope. They saw justice as the guiding light for humanity’s cosmic journey, ensuring a peaceful and harmonious universe for generations to come. The treaty became a symbol of humanity’s commitment to a future where space remained a realm of cooperation and prosperity.”
Universal Space Criminal Justice Act (USCJA)
This story and the Universal Space Criminal Justice Act (USCJA) itself, which can be downloaded below, entail an ironic and tongue-in-cheek piece of international legislation that is still missing at this point in time. In fact, it is not even seriously talked about within the international community.
Given that conflicts and pollution caused by space debris are already happening in space, commercial spaceflight tourism is developing significantly, and human missions to the Moon and Mars are planned to begin in a few years, it is necessary to start anticipating future misbehavior and crimes in space.
Therefore, the USCJA is meant as a discussion starter to ignite serious international effort and debate to work toward such an act.
This initiative has been inspired by “The Rise of the Meritocracy,” a book by British sociologist and politician Michael Dunlop Young that was first published in 1958. The book warned against a dystopian society in a future United Kingdom where intelligence and merit became the most important factors, erasing social class divisions and creating a society stratified between a merited power-holding elite and a disenfranchised underclass of the less merited.
Young satirized the Tripartite System of education that was being practiced but never intended for the word “meritocracy” to eventually be adopted into the English language without the negative connotations he had criticized. It disappointed Young, as he meant it to be read as a critical sociological analysis presented in satire.
Likewise, this Act should be read as a criminological critique of the absence of the USCJA. The lack of such an act could potentially enable crimes, including new ones, to take place in the future, with offenders enjoying impunity.
We have learned about maritime crime and later aviation crime, but only after-the-fact. Now, we have the luxury of considering space crime before-the-fact and working toward an appropriate internationally shared criminal justice system to combat it. This is how this Act ought to be read and understood, as well as its role as a discussion starter.
What if? Imagine This!
At ‘Scientific Imagination,’ we introduce to you ‘What If- Imagine This!,’ a series where we delve into the realms of space exploration.
The art of thought experiments is the heart of ‘What If- Imagine This.’ These imaginative exercises allow us to traverse the boundaries of what is known and venture into the realms of the unknown. By stretching the fabric of reality, thought experiments empower us to question, hypothesize, and explore the infinite possibilities that lie beyond the directly observable.
While Scientific Imagination deals with the role of imagination in the natural sciences, particularly focusing on space sciences, the ethical aspect cannot be overlooked. After all, science is a human endeavor, and the implications of space industry and space science are having a direct impact on humanity, so that we are compelled to try to comprehend their consequences, especially in the age of the new space race.
The USCJA by Dr Yarin Eski, can be interpreted as a thought-provoking stimulus for thought experimentation. By using this broadly outlined document, conflict situations in space travel can be analyzed. Although it involves exercising imagination, the need for a USCJA is certainly not something we should dismiss as mere speculation. Current developments in the aerospace industry compel us to contemplate our behavior, actions, and their implications.
Inspired by the Astra Carta Charter, the ISPS Code, SOLAS, as well as aviation law and treaties, conventions and agreements in international criminal law, this first attempt at the Universal Space Criminal Justice Act (USCJA) was made, with the assistance of ChatGPT.