---
type: "LegalText"
title: "46 U.S.C. § 70505"
description: "Failure to comply with international law as a defense"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
chapter_number: "705"
chapter_name: "MARITIME DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT"
section: "70505"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 70505"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc46@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s70505"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml"
source_hash: "1222a1d050d5d05b5fa66c6a749ce61a09adbce3742330c48e405f92a2bce72d"
raw_snapshot_hash: "eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f"
text_hash: "46134de17a9694da6115215ce7dd4fe2f191df82174aec9b6ce3d2ed679dc085"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 46 U.S.C. § 70505 - Failure to comply with international law as a defense

## Text

A person charged with violating section 70503 of this title, 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.

(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.)

## Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 7050546 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

Amendments2008—Pub. L. 110–407 substituted “this title, or against whom a civil enforcement proceeding is brought under section 70508,” for “this title”.