Section 1. Short title, application and commencement.

(1) This Act may be called the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Act, 2017. (2) It shall apply to every vessel, irrespective of the place of residence or domicile of the owner: Provided that this Act shall not apply to an inland vessel defined in clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 2 of the Inland Vessels Act, 1917 (1 of 1917), or a vessel under construction that has not been launched unless it is notified by the Central Government to be a vessel for the purposes of this Act: Provided further that this Act shall not apply to a warship, naval auxiliary or other vessel owned or operated by the Central or a State Government and used for any non-commercial purpose, and, shall also not apply to a foreign vessel which is used for any non-commercial purpose as may be notified by the Central Government. (3) It shall come into force on such date1 as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.