Extradition Lawyers' Association Lectures  

MONDAY, 6TH OCTOBER 2008: “A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FIRST APPEARANCES IN EXTRADITION CASES” (2CPD) 

A WORKSHOP PROVIDED BY THE ELA AT 30-32 FURNIVAL STREET, LONDON, EC4A 1JQ, BETWEEN 5.30-7.30PM:

  • A comprehensive guide to the creation and purpose of the EAW Scheme
  • Necessary instructions to take from the client at a first appearance
  • Analysis of the decisions taken by the District Judge
  • How to challenge detention at the initial hearing
  • Participate in mock conference and a mock initial hearing
  • Take away a helpful template that can be used at future hearing
  • To book, register as a member or for more information, please contact the ELA: 

Tel: 020 7025 2827 E-mail: info@extradition-lawyers.com Website: www.extradition-lawyers.com 

  • 2 CPD POINTS (LAW SOCIETY NON-ACCREDITED); BAR COUNCIL: 2 CPD
  • COST FOR MEMBERS : £12
  • COST FOR NON-MEMBERS: £60
  • TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ELA, PLEASE PAY YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEE ON-LINE OR BY CHEQUE. CHEQUES SHOULD BE MADE PAYABLE TO "THE EXTRADITION LAWYERS' ASSOCIATION".
  • PLEASE NOTE, ALL MONIES MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE THE START OF THE WORKSHOP.

Training can also be provided from your firm’s premises. Please contact us to make necessary arrangements.

Extradition Lawyers' Association Conference  

The first Annual ELA Lecture Night and Conference took place on 30th September 2008 between 5.30-9pm at the Inner Temple in London. Guest speakers included Baroness Sarah Ludford (Member of the European Parliament), District Judge N. Evans, John Hardy QC, Anand Doobay, Peter Binning, Joel Smith, Ben Lloyd, Clair Dobbin, Joel Smith, Charlotte Powell and Prof. S. Nash. Members of the Extradition Unit (Special Crime Division, CPS) and the Extradition Squad were also be represented (CPD to be confirmed).

Topics covered included:

  • an analysis of how different EU States have implemented and interpreted the principle of mutual recognition, and whether that interpretation is helping or hindering the European Arrest Warrant scheme;
  • an analysis of recent human rights issues in High Court extradition cases;
  • what clients can do to smooth return if extradition is inevitable;
  • an analysis of recent decisions to extradite people in cases where the defence asserts that the request is politically or economically motivated;
  • an analysis of the problems implementing the concept of 'mutual trust' between Member States whose respect for human rights varies;
  • the expected increase in EAW requests under the Schengen Information System II;
  • the mechanics of return from the point of view of the Extradition Squad. 

Extradition Lawyers’ Association News

August 2008 

  • "Two Essex men facing three years in a Cypriot jail for their involvement in a teenager's death could find out if they will be extradited back to the country. Luke Atkinson, 23, and Michael Binnington, 22, both of Witham, will appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court to fight the extradition." Read more.

  • "THE extradition hearing to send a British teenager to Greece to face trial for the manslaughter of Cardiff roller hockey star Jonny Hiles is to be adjourned for a second time. Denzil Hiles, Jonny’s dad, today spoke out to criticise the Crown Prosecution Service for requesting the adjournment which he said “made a mockery of the law”." Read more. 

  • "Gary McKinnon, the British computer enthusiast who hacked into Pentagon and Nasa systems, could face up to 70 years in prison after losing his battle against extradition to America."  Read more.

  • "An American-educated female neuroscientist has been extradited from Pakistan to the United States and is due in court in New York today to face terrorism charges, reports AFP." Read more. 

  • "Britain is to delay the extradition of radical Muslim preacher Abu Hamza to the US to face charges that he helped set up an al Qaida terror training camp. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg ruled on Monday that Abu Hamza should not be extradited until judges could examine his case. The Home Office said it would abide by the court's request." Read more.  

July 2008

  • "Britain should stop extraditing prisoners to America following the CIA’s admission that it ‘tortured’ terror suspects, an influential group of MPs has demanded." Read more.

  • "War criminal Radovan Karadzic was extradited early today (30 July) to the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, following violent clashes between Belgrade police and hard-line nationalists only hours before." Read more.

  • "A lawyer acting for the former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has said he will fight moves to extradite him to the UN war crimes court at The Hague." Read more.  
  • "BELGRADE, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Serbia's Belgrade District Court received no appeal against the extradition of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague by the end of office hours on Tuesday, a court spokeswoman said." Read more. 
  • "Lawyers for suspected would-be suicide bomber Hussain Osman has challenged his extradition to Britain." Read more. 
  • "Tim Judah argues it was no fluke that Milosevic was flown to face trial on St Vitus's Day, a key date in Serbian history." Read more.  
  • "The former president of the Portuguese football club Benfica appeared before Westminster magistrates' court in London yesterday and could be extradited to Portugal to face fraud and document forgery charges relating to mismanagement of the team's finances." Read more.

June 2008  

  • "A Londoner accused of the "biggest military computer hack of all time" will tell Britain's highest court next week that United States prosecutors demanding his extradition have abused court processes in Britain. Gary McKinnon, 42, will ask the Law Lords to block his extradition on the ground prosecutors had unlawfully threatened him with a heavier sentence unless he agreed to surrender himself for trial in the US." Read more. 
  • Lord Bassam of Brighton (Lords in Waiting, HM Household; Labour) rose to move, That the draft Extradition Act 2003 (Amendment to Designations) Order 2008 laid before the House on 6 May be approved. Link to Hansard.
  • "MUNICH, Germany, June 9 (UPI) -- A German citizen who claims he was kidnapped and tortured as part of the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" anti-terrorism program is seeking legal relief" Read more in United Press International and BBC news.
  • "Magistrates in London have upheld a request to extradite four men to Rwanda to face mass murder charges." Read more.
  • "A notorious Israeli mercenary has successfully appealed to the European court of human rights to postpone his extradition from Russia to Colombia, where he faces an 11-year jail sentence for training rightwing paramilitaries and a private army for the drug barons of the Medellín cartel." Read more.

May 2008   

  • "Britain has been accused of taking the first step towards a "prisoner swap" by arresting two nationalist separatists after coming under intense pressure from Pakistan." Read more.
  • "A British judge ordered on Tuesday the extradition of three Tunisian men to face terrorism charges in Italy, despite defence arguments they risked torture back home if Italy deported them." Read more.
  • British police are in talks over the possible extradition of an east Devon student arrested in the US for allegedly using fake ID to buy a gun for a dare. Read more.

April 2008

  • "For us as European Parliamentarians, the very notion of ‘rendition’ or ‘extradition’ done outside the control of any judicial authority within the territory of the European Union is a breach of the European Convention on Human Rights; moreover, it conflicts with all existing bilateral agreements on extradition concluded between the US and each of the EU member States and with the agreements signed (and pending ratification) between the US and the European Union itself."  Click here to read the Briefing before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight Subcommittee on Europe:
    “Extraordinary Rendition in U.S. Counterterrorism Policy: The Impact on Transatlantic Relations.” A Statement by Jonathan Evans, MEP April 17, 2007.
  • "The Appeal court today blocked the deportation of Abu Qatada, accused of being al-Qaida's "spiritual ambassador to Europe", despite a "no torture" guarantee given to the British government by Jordan." Read article in the guardian.
  • "Sir Mark Thatcher, the son of the former prime minister Baroness Thatcher, is facing a new attempt to extradite him to Equatorial Guinea, the oil-rich West African enclave where he was allegedly involved in an attempted coup." Read more...
  • Scotland refuses to extradite convicted man to France after 13 year delay requesting extradition: "A CELTIC fan convicted of drug smuggling while travelling to a European game has escaped seven years in a French jail after beating an extradition bid". Read Judgment. 

March 2008 

  • 12th March 2008: House of Lords judgment handed down in Norris. To read the judgment, click here. Link to articles in The Telegraph and The Times.    
  • "A Russian court has approved the extradition to Colombia of an Israeli mercenary wanted by Colombian authorities for allegedly training guerrillas, a court spokeswoman said on Wednesday."  Read more.
  • "It would take about a year before Thailand could extradite Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death," to the United States, Thailand's foreign minister Noppadon Pattama said Thursday." Read more.
  • "A HIGH-PROFILE extradition case involving a Briton facing charges in America concerning kickbacks paid to Saddam Hussein’s regime has become mired in a judicial review". Read more.
  • "FUGITIVE doctor Jayant Patel will receive a last-minute reprieve in a US court this week when prosecutors argue that he should be extradited on 14 charges - not 16 as requested by the Australian Government" Read more.
  • "The Supreme Court approved an American request for the extradition of Juan Carlos Ramirez-Abadia, a Colombian accused of smuggling billions of dollars of cocaine into the United States."  Read more.
  • "The Thai police said Friday that a Russian businessman regarded as one of the world's most notorious arms dealers would be held here for investigation, even as the United States seeks his extradition". Read more.
  • "The Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday decided not to hear the extradition appeal from German businessman Karlheinz Schreiber, whose dealings with former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney are under investigation." Read more...
  • "Two former Guantanamo Bay detainees are celebrating after Spanish authorities dropped a bid to extradite them to face terrorism charges." Read more...  
  • Mokbel's final appeal in Greece against extradition to Australia is heard. He argued he would not receive a fair trial in Australia because of the negative media attention he has received. Read more.

February 2008

  • Saadi v. Italy (application no. 37201/06). The European Court of Human Rights held unanimously that if the decision to deport the applicant to Tunisia were to be enforced, there would be a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment). Read more.  
  • “Czech Republic Minister for Justice to lose power to postpone extradition proceedings if requested person is charged in the Czech Republic following complaint that custody in the Czech Republic hampered preparation of his defence against charges laid in the requesting State”. Read more... 
  • “Spain orders extradition of death squad suspect to Argentina”. Read more...
  • “Amit Kumar, the alleged mastermind of the kidney transplant racket arrested in Nepal, will be extradited to India at the earliest”. Read more..., Hindustan Times..., Fresh news...
  • The House of Lords debates extradition arrangements between the United Kingdom and the United States of America. Read more... 
  • “Trinidad orders extradition to the U.S. of three men charged in JFK airport plot”. Read more...
  • “South Korean religious sect leader extradited from China to face rape charges”. Read more...
  • “Canadian national, Michael Seifert, 83 extradited to Italy to serve war-crimes sentence”. Read more...
  • “The United States and Turkey meet to discuss extradition procedures”. Read more...
  • “Suspect in Stepha murders fights extradition from New York to Miami-Dade”. Read more...
  • “Natwest 3 sentenced to 37 months imprisonment in the USA after extradition from the UK”. Read more..., Times Online, Times Online Business
  • “UK approves Abu Hamza extradition to the U.S.A”. Read more..., BBC News, The Guardian
  • “An Israeli judge ruled Sunday that a disgraced Brooklyn rabbi accused of sexually abusing children more than two decades ago can be extradited to the U.S.” Read more...
  • “Russia seeks extradition of Oligarchs from the United Kingdom”. Read more..., The Guardian,
  • “Extradited Briton charged with UK’s biggest cash robbery”. Read more...
  • “Trinidadian Judge Upholds Extradition of Alleged Terrorists to the U.S”. Read more... 
  • Texas Doctor Waives Extradition and Agrees to Return from the U.S. to England”. Read more... 
  • “Extradition of Abraham Mondrowitz to the U.S. Approved by Israeli Court”. Read more... 
  • “Extradition to the U.S. of Brazilian National Accused of Killing Spouse Not likely”. Read more... 
  • “The former Radio One DJ and convicted paedophile Chris Denning has agreed to be extradited to Slovakia to face child porn charges”. Read more...  
  • “New AG of Zimbabwe secretly signs extradition order to return Simon Mann to Equatorial Guinea". Read more... 

 January 2008 

  • “A paraplegic wanted for murder extradited from Ireland to the UK”. Read more... 
  • “USA requests Marc Emery’s extradition from Canada”. Read more... 
  • “Campaign Launched to Extradite Posada Carriles from the USA to Venezuela”. Read more... 
  • “Mexico refuses to order extradition to the USA unless assurances against the death penalty are given”. Read more... 

December 2007

  • “Extradition from Canada to the United States: John Graham”. Read more...

  • "Deep divisions have emerged at the heart of Danish government after a bitter row blew up over the country's failure to extradite a Nazi war criminal, a Dane, from Germany." Read more...

November 2007 

  • "'Honour killing': pressure grows on UK to extradite suspect from Iraq". Read more...
  • "An Algerian exile, with refugee rights in Germany, has been arrested in Spain and now faces extradition to Algeria." Read more...

October 2007

  • “Victor Kozeny’s extradition from the Bahamas to the U.S. is denied”. Read more...