Clause 179 - Competing claims to extradition
Extradition Bill
3:30 pm
Mr John Burnett (Torridge and West Devon, Liberal Democrat)
I refer the Minister to subsection (3), under which the Secretary of State must take into account various matters. Most of these I can understand; they are clearly based on judicially sound principles:
''the relative seriousness of the offences concerned'',
which is obvious; and
''the date when the warrant was issued''.
The priority of time is often a legal principle; one is protected by the speed with which one acts. I do not understand the consideration in paragraph (b):
''the place where each offence was committed (or was alleged to have been committed)''.
I should like the Minister to explain its relevance as a criterion for the Secretary of State's decision on competing extradition claims. These conflicts are difficult and it is important to specify what details the Secretary of State should take into account in reflecting on these matters and reaching his conclusions.