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Article 22 



1. Except where acts of interference derive from powers conferred 

 by treaty, a warship which encounters a foreign merchant ship on the 

 high seas is not justified in boarding her unless there is reasonable 

 ground for suspecting : 



(a) That the ship is engaged in piracy ; or 

 (h) That the ship is engaged in the slave trade ; or 

 (c) That, though flying a foreign flag or refusing to show its 

 flag, the ship is, in reality, of the same nationality as the warship.. 



2. In the cases provided for in sub-paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) 

 above, the warship may proceed to verify the ship's right to fly its 

 flag. To this end, it may send a boat under the command of an offi- 

 cer to the suspected ship. If suspicion remains after the documents 

 have been checked, it may proceed to a further examination on board 

 the ship, which must be carried out with all possible consideration. 



3. If the suspicions prove to be unfounded, and provided that the 

 ship boarded has not committed any act justifying them, it shall be 

 compensated for any loss or damage that may have been sustained. 



Article 23 



1. The hot pursuit of a foreign ship may be undertaken when the 

 competent authorities of the coastal State have good reason to believe 

 that the ship has violated the laws and regulations of that State. 

 Such pursuit must be commenced when the forei^ ship or one of its 

 boats is within the internal waters or the territorial sea or the contig- 

 uous zone of the pursuing State, and may only be continued outside 

 the territorial sea or the contiguous zone if the pursuit has not been 

 interrupted. It is not necessary that, at the time when the foreign 

 ship within the territorial sea or the contiguous zone receives the 

 order to stop, the ship giving the order should likewise be within the 

 territorial sea or the contiguous zone. If the foreign ship is within 

 a contiguous zone, as defined in article 24 of the Convention on the 

 Territorial Sea and the Conti^ous Zone, the pursuit may only be 

 undertaken if there has been a violation of the rights for the protection 

 of which the zone was established. 



2. The right of hot pursuit ceases as soon as the ship pursued enters 

 the territorial sea of its own country or of a third State. 



3. Hot pursuit is not deemed to have begun unless the pursuing ship 

 has satisfied itself by such practicable means as may be available that 

 the ship pursued or one of its boats or other craft working as a team 

 and using the ship pursued as a mother ship are within the limits of 

 the territorial sea, or as the case may be within the contiguous zone. 

 The pursuit may only be commenced after a visual or auditory signal 

 to stop has been given at a distance which enables it to be seen or heard 

 by the foreign ship. 



4. The right of hot pursuit may be exercised only by warships or 

 military aircraft, or other ships or aircraft on government service 

 specially authorized to that effect. 



