The Act then proceeds to explain what is required for these admiralty court sessions to function, how they will run, and what powers it grants to the commissioners.

The Act also grants the commissioners of these vice-admiralty courts with "full power and authority" to issue warrants, summon the necessary witnesses, and "to do all thing necessary for the hearing and final determination of any case of piracy, robbery, or felony".

The first of these includes any subject of the crown who commits any act of piracy "under colour of any commission from any foreign prince or state".

These accessories "shall be enquired of, tried, heard, determined, and adjudged" following the original Offences at Sea Act 1536 and "shall suffer such pains of death" just as the pirates themselves would.

In addition, most pirates appeared to have been given a fair trial because, if the accused could not be confirmed to have taken part in the said piracy by witness testimony, they were often acquitted.