Universal jurisdiction originated in Greek and Roman times in the struggle against piracy. Because pirates committed their crimes on the high seas, beyond the territory of any state, the idea developed that they were enemies of humanity whom any state could prosecute.
普遍管辖权起源于希腊和罗马时代的清剿海盗的战争。由于海盗在公海实施犯罪，而公海不属于任何一个国家的领海，因此就产生了一种思想：他们是人类的公敌，任何国家头可以起诉他们。