Member

It was the unanimous view of stakeholders and practitioners that these amendments destroy one of the most important and fundamental protections in the Extradition Act 2003. Convictions in absentia are commonplace outside the UK, but Clause 195 will expose UK citizens and residents to imprisonment imposed following trials held in their absence without a right to retrial, even when a UK court has found, following a contested hearing, that the person did not deliberately absent themselves. Other safeguards in the Extradition Act are incapable of compensating for the loss of this protection.