Legal Hijack Q
I too am interested in what exactly he can be charged with in a legal sense - that is , under Conventions etc.
As the F/O , with the captain absent from the flight deck he is technically in command , so ( apart from squawking 7500 on himself etc) he is able to prett much do anything the captain can.. This case aside, what if the captain was the nutsy one ( thats happened before) and the F/O wanted to keep him out of the cockpit for example ....seems like a case of unlawful interference , but maybe not? As far as hostage taking etc. the conditions of carriage dont guaranteee you getting to your destination at any time so maybe this is along a similar legal path.
BTW I am studying AVLAW at the moment hence the question is not meant to be antagonistic, just looking at the pure legality of the case, not a pilots viewpoint as to who should be to blame or otherwise let in cockpits... Sans lip balm , nail clippers or toothpaste tube with 110 mls in lieu of 100 (all highly dangerous in the wrong hands!)