Reeteshwar Shibchurn was brought to Bermuda and charged because International law says offences committed on the high seas should be dealt with in court in the country where the vessel is officially registered.

In Bermuda, the Merchant Shipping Act says offences committed on the high seas committed by seamen on board a Bermudian registered vessel must be tried in a Bermudian court.

A vessel's jurisdiction is determined by its flag state, the country in which it is registered. That means the ship has to comply with Bermudian regulations set out by Marine and Ports in Bermuda's territorial waters and in international waters.

However, because the incident happened near Panama, Panamanian Police could have done the investigation instead of Bermudian officers flying there.

Also, the matter could have been dealt with in Panama if Bermudian and Panamanian Police agreed.