The paper attempts to analyse the issues related to the employment of armed guards in merchant ships. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines on use of armed guards in merchant ships are discussed. The need for having an international legal framework on the law relating to use of armed guards is examined in the light of the latest incident in IndiaThe Enrica Lexie episode which led to the killing of two fishermen as a result of indiscriminate firing by the armed guards onboard the Italian ship.

Armed guards onboard ships, vessel protection detachments, conflict of jurisdiction, IMO guidelines