The Home Secretary Theresa May yesterday confirmed that a panel would review Britain's extradition policies.
A panel would be appointed to explore five key areas of extradition including the controversial US-UK extradition treaty as well as the European arrent warrant. The review would consider whether other countries would be required to provide more evidence before an extradition is authorised along with whether judges should have the power to block extraditions for crimes committed in Britain.
This review could sway the fate of Gary Mckinnon, the computer hacker, who had hacked into secure US defence systems. Mr. Mckinnon suffers from Asperger's syndrome and is wanted by the US for violating their national security computer systems which could land him in jail in the US for sixty years, if he is extradited. Currently, the Home Secretary has granted Mr. Mckinnon a temporary reprieve.
"I am fully aware that there are a number of areas of the UK's extradition arrangements which have attracted controversy in recent years," the Home Secretary said yesterday.
"This government is committed to reviewing those arrangements to ensure they work both efficiently and in the interests of justice."
The UK - US extradition treaty is considered to be unfair by many as the evidence required to extradite someone from Britain to the US is far less than when similar requests are made by UK authorities.
The Home Secretary got support from one of her predecessors, David Blunkett, who expressed concerns about the extradition treaty between the two countries.
"Britain's rotten extradition system is in urgent need of overhaul and we welcome this much-needed review," Shami Chakrabarty, Liberty's Director said.
"No one should be parcelled off to a foreign land without due process or when they could be dealt with here at home - people in the UK have been vulnerable to accusation and transportation across the globe for far too long."
The Home Office has confirmed that the panel would be appointed soon and it is expected to submit its report to the Home Secretary in summer next year.