Boris Johnson will demand UK judges have new powers to refuse EU requests
BRITAIN could clash with the EU over a new proposed extradition treaty as trade talks resume this week.
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The terms of the new treaty will be discussed during a crunch round of trade talks with Brussels set to start today. The UK will request its courts hold more powers to decline EU extradition petitions than under the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) system it must exit at the end of the year.
Warrants could be refused to prevent long waits for pre-trial detention, under the British proposal.
They could also be dismissed if the UK legal system estimates the cost of an arrest exceeds the severity of the crime.
On the other hand, the European Commission demands that EU courts have the power to dismiss UK extradition requests for people facing whole life sentences unless Britain conducts a review on the punishment either on request or, at the latest, 20 years after the verdict.
It also petitions that judges refute extradition requests if they consider they are instigated by the person’s “sex, race, religion, ethnic origin, nationality, language, political opinions or sexual orientation.”
Bilateral extradition deals were replaced by the EAW between nations with a much more rapid system were the judiciary was involved directly rather than politicians.
It was settled, with Britain’s backing, two months after the 9/11 attack.
From a Brexit perspective, performing arrests mandated by foreign magistrates was an attack on national sovereignty.
If the UK Government does not allow the European Court of Justice to act in Britain after Brexit, a new extradition system will need to be settled before the transition period ends.
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If a new system is not agreed upon before January 1 that means the UK will rely on 1956 laws for extradition which are considerably slower.
Also by December 31, the two sides must settle a trade agreement.
The last round of discussions resulted in a deadlock over EU’s demand for level playing field guarantees and use of UK fishing waters in the current situation.
Boris Johnson will attend this last round before appearing at a June “high level meeting” with EU leaders.
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The summit will assess progress on the trade talks and it will be the last before the July deadline to appeal for an extension.
"In relation to the level-playing field the EU has insisted on including a set of novel and unbalanced proposals which would bind the UK to EU law or standards or impose control over our domestic legal regimes," the prime minister's official spokesman said.
"As soon as the EU recognises that we will not conclude an agreement on that basis, we will be able to make progress."
“The safety and security of our citizens is the government’s top priority, which is why we have said the agreement with the EU should provide for fast-track extradition arrangements,” a UK spokesman said.
British officials want an agreement modelled the EU’s 2019 accords with Norway and Iceland but adding safeguards that were not included in the EAW system.
“A lot of this is to do with procedural guarantees,” an EU source said.
“Obviously the UK’s refusal to recognise the role of the European Court of Justice limits the level of ambition of our future partnership.”