Senior former judge to give evidence to Lords Extradition Committee
The Committee will take evidence from Sir Scott Baker QC, former Lord Justice of Appeal, who led a major independent review into the UK's extradition arrangements.
Sir Scott will be joined in the evidence session by the solicitor Anand Doobay, a member of the Baker Review panel with significant expertise in handling extradition and mutual assistance matters.
The Committee plans to explore the findings of the Baker Review. Members hope to hear witnesses' views on how far the Government has followed the review's recommendations, and – following a number of high-profile cases – how the extradition process has developed since the publication of the review in September 2011.
Issues that the Committee is likely to discuss include:
- the effectiveness of the extradition system and whether the Government should take forward the review's recommendations;
- the European Arrest Warrant and new legal measures to prevent other EU countries making extradition requests for trivial crimes;
- the extradition arrangements between the UK and US;
- whether all requesting governments should have to make a prima facie case which provides sufficient evidence to demonstrate that a trial could go ahead once extradition is approved;
- whether extradition requests should once again have to make a ‘prima facie' legal case, as they did in the past;
- whether assurances offered by requesting governments adequately safeguard requested people's human rights; and
- the long-term consequences of removing the Home Secretary's role in preventing extradition on human rights grounds.
The evidence session will take place on Tuesday 8 July at 10.30am in Committee Room 2 of the House of Lords.
