On 14 September 1963, in Tokyo, states sign the Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft — the Tokyo Convention, the first modern multilateral treaty on jurisdiction over acts committed in flight.

The convention defines when an aircraft is “in flight”, assigns primary competence to the state of registration and gives the aircraft commander powers to ensure safety, including restraining persons. It covers offences and acts that jeopardise the safety of the aircraft or of persons and property on board.

The depositary is ICAO. Entry into force: 4 December 1969. Nearly 190 parties. The text appears in UNTS vol. 704 (No. 10106).

It was later complemented by the Hague (1970) and Montreal (1971) conventions and the 2014 Montreal Protocol.

For aviation criminal law, 14 September 1963 marks the Tokyo signature.

The document is available on the ICAO website and in UNTS.

The Tokyo Convention of 14 September 1963 remains the foundation of jurisdiction over acts on board.

Image: Tokyo / aviation; Wikimedia Commons. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: Tokyo Convention. Treaty text: UNTS — Tokyo Convention.