Communications Act 2003

410 Application of enactments to territorial sea and other waters

(1) This section applies to—

(a) provision made by or under Part 2 of this Act;

(b) any provision of the enactments relating to the management of the radio spectrum that are not contained in that Part; and

(c) any provision of Chapter 1 of Part 5 of this Act so far as it relates to a matter as respects which provision falling within paragraph (a) or (b) is made.

(2) Her Majesty may by Order in Council provide—

(a) for an area of the territorial sea to be treated, for the purposes of any provision to which this section applies, as if it were situated in such part of the United Kingdom as may be specified in the Order; and

(b) for jurisdiction with respect to questions arising in relation to the territorial sea under any such provision to be conferred on courts in a part of the United Kingdom so specified.

(3) An Order in Council under section 11 of the Petroleum Act 1998 (c. 17) (application of civil law to offshore installations etc.) may make provision for treating—

(a) an installation with respect to which provision is made under that section and which is outside the territorial sea but in waters to which that section applies, and

(b) waters within 500 metres of the installation,

as if for the purposes of provisions to which this section applies, they were situated in such part of the United Kingdom as is specified in the Order.

(4) The jurisdiction conferred on a court by an Order in Council under this section is in addition to any jurisdiction exercisable apart from this section by that or any other court.

(5) Subsection (3) of section 402 applies to the power to make an Order in Council under this section as it applies to any power of the Secretary of State to make an order under this Act, but as if references in that subsection to the Secretary of State were references to Her Majesty in Council.

(6) A statutory instrument containing an Order in Council under this section shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(7) In this section—

• “installation” includes any floating structure or device maintained on a station by whatever means, and installations in transit;

• “the territorial sea” means the territorial sea adjacent to the United Kingdom.