Imperial US Extraterritorialism is Abusive, UK Lawyer Says

Extraterritorialism, or the practice of seeking to enforce a country's laws beyond that country's geographic borders, isn't necessarily bad.

But it is being abused by U.S. authorities seeking to prosecute foreign citizens for, among other conduct, gambling activities that might not be illegal if they were conducted by American citizens on U.S. soil, argues a U.K. lawyer in a detailed article in today's London Times.

"We should not need Adam Smith to remind us that it is in the fairness of everyday commercial dealings between nations that peace and harmony lie," writes attorney Anthony Julius of Mishcon de Reya. "America is in danger of overlooking this truth, when it acts unjustly and overlooks the interests of its allies and friends."