Clause 1 - Service of overseas process
Crime (International Co-operation) Bill [Lords]
10:00 am
Mr Bob Ainsworth (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Coventry North East, Labour)
We are talking about a notice received stating that an action is taking place in a court of law and a person is being asked to appear as a witness or defendant. We might have received that information from a jurisdiction abroad, and we would send out—as we have done for the past 13 years under the old legislation—notification that that request had been received. The notification clearly says that no obligation or ramifications under UK law will be brought into effect by the notice's having been received. Why would that suggest a threat? The information that we give a person to say that a request has been received makes it clear that no UK legal obligation has been brought into effect by passing on the request.
We are not talking about taking action against, or imposing a legal obligation on, the individual, but about service of process. It would be rare to find an
instance where we should not make the individual aware that a notice has been received.