[jkaplowitz]

In both the UK and the US, the legal systems have a strong presumption against that interpretation for laws which don't say otherwise.

The example you give is one where Congress made clear they intended it to apply to citizens abroad, so the courts honor that.

(As for the US Constitution, it is held to protect the rights of US citizens abroad in relation to the US government, to the extent the US government knows or should know of their citizenship.)