Clause 193 - National security
Extradition Bill
10:45 am
Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)
It is helpful to know that, but I vividly recall the matter of Pinochet having to come back before the House of Lords a second time following the embarrassment of Lord Hoffmann having to withdraw because of his connections with Amnesty International. Admittedly, Pinochet was not a British Minister, but international law did not prevent the detention or the issue of whether Pinochet should be extradited to Spain at the request of Magistrate Garzon going as far as our highest court. I do not really think that the Minister can pray in aid international law. I have not had the chance to go into the same detail as he and his officials, and he may tell us that British Ministers are better protected
by existing Acts. However, in the light of what happened to Pinochet, I do not think that the Minister can say that international law protects them from risk.