2 Bedford Row

Posted: 06 June 2012

SUPREME COURT LANDMARK JUDGEMENT, ARTICLE 6 IS ENGAGED IN EXTRADITION PROCEEDINGS

William Clegg QC.  Stephen Vullo and David Patience, instructed by Jeremy Moore of Carter Moore, successfully  represented the appellant Halligen in the Supreme Court where, in a landmark judgement, the Court ruled that Article  6 (1) of the European Convention was engaged when a U.K. citizen was faced with extradition proceedings.

This ruling effectively overrules the previous decision of the House of Lords in Mucelli  and, for the first time, the Court has held that Article 6 (1) c an be relied upon by Citizens of the U.K.  during the extradition process itself  and that the Extradition Act 2003 must be "read down" to make extradition hearings in the UK courts to be fair and thus compatible with the Convention.

The case of Mr Halligen, whose extradition is sought by the United States of America on allegations of wire fraud and money laundering, has now been remitted to the Administrative Court for a determination on the merits.