Section 191: Extradition
414.This section provides that the criminal offence, or a conspiracy or an attempt to commit it, shall be an extraditable offence to which Schedule 1 to the Extradition Act 1989 applies. That Schedule preserves the old extradition regime under the Extradition Act 1870. This will allow extradition in respect of the offence from the UK to countries with whom the UK signed bilateral extradition treaties before 1989 – this group includes the United States of America. Requests for extradition to other countries with whom the UK has extradition arrangements (including members of the Council of Europe, Commonwealth countries and Hong Kong, and countries with whom the UK signed bilateral treaties since 1989) are considered under the main provisions of the Extradition Act 1989. Extradition from the UK to these countries will apply in respect of the criminal offence without a specific legislative provision. The extradition provisions do not apply retrospectively.
415.Dual-criminality applies (i.e. a request for extradition may only ever be made to a country that has criminal penalties for the same activity). Thus the introduction of criminal penalties in the UK will make it possible for other countries that criminalise the same activity to request the extradition of individuals from the UK. Requests made by the UK for the extradition of individuals from other countries will be governed by the law of those countries.
