Extraterritoriality is the state of being exempt from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations. For instance, a citizen of country A may enjoy extraterritoriality while visiting country B. In that case, this person cannot legally be tried by the courts of country B for some alleged crime.
The old legalism is noted for its usage concerning European nationals in 19th century China. The 1839 murder by two British sailors of a Chinese man became a starting point of the First Opium War.
Other examples of extraterritoral rights is the diplomatic immunity granted to dipolmats and embassy staff, the grounds provided towards embassy infrastructure, and official visits of foreign heads of state. Extraterritoriality also extends to public vessels in foreign territorial waters.
In the Sixth World, extraterritoriality, thanks in part to the Shiawase Decision, now extends to corporate personnel, especially regarding top executives, and corporate infrastructure, granting multinational corporations defacto sovereignty. Land owned by the corporation is not foreign soil but corporate soil, also exempt from domestic laws. Likewise, employees of the corporation are corporate citizens.
Article forked from the 'Extraterritoriality' article of the Wikipedia