Clause 19 - Seized evidence
Crime (International Co-operation) Bill [Lords]
11:00 am
Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)
I know that the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome has already said that he wants to raise a point about the clause, but I want to ask the Minister a one-sentence question. The clause states:
''where the evidence consists of a document, the original or a copy is to be sent''.
The Minister will recall that some very important terrorist cases in the Irish Republic collapsed because the prosecuting authorities in this country did not manage to send the right documents: they sent copies when they should have sent originals. I am not making a politically partisan point, because that has happened under Governments of both parties.
Will the Minister reassure the Committee for the record that we will not have any problems with other countries, especially the Irish Republic, by inserting into our law a clause that states that where the evidence consists of a document, the original or a copy is to be sent? I hope that the Minister understands the serious point that I am trying to make. I am trying to be helpful, and I want to ensure that the Minister and his officials can reconsider the subsection if they need to ascertain whether they need to insert a subsection that says, in effect, ''But we know that we always need to send an original if the other court requires it'', or something along those lines.