The implementation of the powers of inquiry bodies by sea captains

The paper discusses the implementation of the powers of inquiry bodies by sea captains during the long voyage. The relevance of this topic is explained by the fact that it is the sea captain who is responsible for the safety of the ship, crew, passengers and is to keep order on the ship. Ensuring the navigation safety is the pivotal issue for maritime transport, since its successful solution depends on the protection of life and health of crew members and passengers, the safety of vehicles and cargo, the property of shipowners, crew members, and passengers. One of the elements of the ship security is the compliance with the criminal legislation when criminal offences are detected on board. To this end, a sea captain has a wide range of administrative powers and is a person that implements the powers of inquiry bodies on the ship. A ship’s captain is empowered to initiate the criminal proceedings and conduct an immediate investigation. The study reviews and criticizes the standards of the criminal procedure legislation of the Russian Federation and current regulation of this type of activity adopted in the USSR. It is proposed to amend current legislation and adopt a new subordinate law regulating the powers of inquiry bodies implemented by a sea captain during the long voyage.