46 USC § 70505 - Failure to comply with international law as a defense

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s70505"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "46 USC § 70505 - Failure to comply with international law as a defense"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
section_number: "70505"
section_name: "Failure to comply with international law as a defense"
chapter_number: 705
chapter_name: "MARITIME DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 109–304, § 10(2), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1688; Pub. L. 110–407, title II, § 202(b)(3), Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4300.)"
---


# § 70505. Failure to comply with international law as a defense

section 70503 of this title

A person charged with violating , or against whom a civil enforcement proceeding is brought under section 70508, does not have standing to raise a claim of failure to comply with international law as a basis for a defense. A claim of failure to comply with international law in the enforcement of this chapter may be made only by a foreign nation. A failure to comply with international law does not divest a court of jurisdiction and is not a defense to a proceeding under this chapter.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 109–304, § 10(2), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1688; Pub. L. 110–407, title II, § 202(b)(3), Oct. 13, 2008, 122 Stat. 4300.)

| RevisedSection | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 70505 | 46 App.:1903(d). | Pub. L. 96–350, § 3(d), Sept. 15, 1980, 94 Stat. 1160; Pub. L. 99–570, title III, § 3202, Oct. 27, 1986, 100 Stat. 3207–96; Pub. L. 99–640, § 17, Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3553; Pub. L. 104–324, § 1138(a)(4), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3989. |

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2008— substituted “this title, or against whom a civil enforcement proceeding is brought under section 70508,” for “this title”.