Oppose The Extradition Review Whitewash

If you oppose the sickening whitewash produced by Sir Scott Baker’s Extradition Review Panel, please take a moment and use the form below to make your views known to the government.

Just fill in your details and add your name at the end of the text in the message box below, or delete the suggested text and use the box to write your own message. When you press Submit, your message will then be sent to the Home Office, the Home Secretary and the Deputy Prime Minister. (The Prime Minister must be contacted separately, by clicking here – opens in a new window). The Home Office are obliged to reply to UK correspondence within approx. 20 working days, which is why you must enter your details – This website will not see or store your info, but if you want the Home Office to take note of your message, you must enter your valid email and UK postcode.

Just a few reasons why our current extradition arrangements DO need to change: The Extradition Act (2003) is in explicit contravention of our Article 7 Human Rights, since it applies retrospectively. Article 7 of the Human Rights Act very clearly prohibits retrospectivity. The Extradition Act means that any one of us can be extradited for an offence that was not an offence when allegedly committed, and without a shred of evidence. Nine times as many UK citizens have been extradited to the USA under the Act, compared to the number of US citizens extradited to the UK. This is according to the Home Office’s own figures. The claim by the Review Panel that the UK/US extradition treaty is even-handed and not unbalanced in its operation simply does not hold water. Even Baroness Scotland herself, who was instrumental in negotiating the treaty, admitted freely in the House of Lords (scroll to Column 1063) that the treaty is unbalanced. David Blunkett, who signed the extradition treaty with the USA, has admitted before the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee and in the media that he ‘gave too much away’. The extradition treaty with the USA was signed under Queen’s Perogative, an arcane manoeuvre which bypasses due Parliamentary process and meant that Parliament did not see the wording of the treaty until some three months after it was signed. This renders the application of the treaty unlawful, according to a recent Supreme Court ruling. The UK’s extradition treaty with the USA has been condemned by both Liberty and the American Civil Liberties Union. You can also read the Law Society’s response to the Home Office consultation here. The public consultation to the Extradition Review generated a massive response opposing our current extradition arrangements, yet the Panel have chosen to ignore the overwhelming professional and public opinion that the Extradition Act is fundamentally unjust and needs to change.

Subject: Extradition Review? Whitewash! * Name:   * Email:   * Postcode:   * To Whom It May Concern: The Extradition Review is a whitewash and a sham. The recommendations of the Panel bear no relation to the facts, show no regard for public opinion, and are blatantly counter to the interests of justice and the British people. We demand justice and human rights for all. Introduce the Forum amendment, abolish the European Arrest Warrant and rip up the UK/US extradition treaty now.   A * indicates a field is required