The Gambia Piracy Law

The Gambia possess a pluralist legal system, encompassing common law modeled after the British system, local customary law, and Islamic (Sharia) law. Customary law usually applies to matters related to marriage, divorce, inheritance, land tenure, tribal and clan leadership, and other issues related to traditional and social relations. Sharia primarily applies in addressing marriage and divorce matters for Muslims. For the majority of criminal violations, the common law system, using the domestic legislation and the judiciary, applies. The Gambia criminalizes piracy within Article 62 of its Criminal Code. which incorporates, by reference, "the law of England" in 1965. The Piracy Acts of 1837 and 1850 were in force in England in 1965.