David Cameron is in the US rubbing shoulders with President Obama whilst further cementing the "Special Relationship". Meanwhile from back home the message from the British Public appears to be getting to the PM who has according to media reports indicated that he intends further review of the existing extradition treaty to takes place. How many reviews are needed I do not know. Melanie Riley from Friends Extradited made this statement in response to David Cameron's proposed intent.
“Cameron’s words are laudable. However the real problem is overturning the stubborn intransigence of his Home Office mandarins. We don’t need reviews and guidelines – everyone who knows anything about the issue knows that the problems are readily resolved by two small measures. First by introducing a new forum amendment, not the one currently on statute but the one the Tories originally proposed in 2006, to ensure that where defendants can more fairly be tried in Britain, a requesting country should have to convince a British court that there is a better case for extradition, before hauling British citizens off elsewhere for trial. This forum bar wouldn’t just apply to America, but all countries, and does not mean that the principle of extradition is dead, just fair.
“The second issue is simply to bring reciprocity to the US/UK treaty – both countries should need to show similar levels of evidence when seeking to extradite – then no one can quibble about unfairness.
“Campaigners won the intellectual arguments years ago – now it’s time for Cameron’s government to stop prevaricating and step up to the plate.”
Media Reporting on David Cameron's Word's from the US
The Home Office have Failed to Disclose Evidence Considered in the Scott Baker Independent Review of Extradition despite requests to do so by Dominic Raab MP and also despite FOI's requesting this information.
Julia,
ReplyDeleteI am so glad that I have found this blog, and now have a way to contact you. I have been following Richard's case for a while, and the way he is being treated is absolutely outrageous. You are in my thoughts permanently, and many other people feel the same way. Good luck, and I really hope you manage to stop the extradition. I have written quite a lot about this case on my own blog.
George
Hi George
ReplyDeleteWhere is your blog
http://actorandpoliticalactivist.blogspot.co.uk/
ReplyDelete