Peters & Peters

Politics v substance in extradition courts: Nick Vamos and Sefki Bayram discuss

The extradition case of Meng Wanzhou, CFO of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, concluded earlier this year with a deal which was more about international politics than criminal justice. In the UK, former Autonomy boss Mike Lynch is rallying politicians to his side to resist being sent to the US on fraud charges, and in Sardinia a court is awaiting a decision from the EU on whether Carles Puigdemont, former regional president of Catalonia and leader of the Catalonian separatist movement, has political immunity against extradition to Spain. Meanwhile, the High Court is hearing the latest instalment of Julian Assange’s extradition saga, in which allegations of political skulduggery and CIA assassination plots feature prominently. Clearly, the extradition courts remain the best place to see the collisions between criminal justice and politics laid bare. Read more.