Mixed Signals
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Sunday 18 October 2009, 1:37 PM
NASA Hacker McKinnon gets appeal extension
This follows McKinnon being denied the right to appeal to the UK Supreme Court, which would normally trigger a fourteen day window for an appeal to the European Court in Strasbourg.
According to the BBC, a Home Office spokesman said: "On 12 October his solicitors submitted further representations to the Home Secretary and we are considering what response to give to this latest material.
"In the meantime, we have confirmed to his solicitors that we do not consider the 14 days for a Strasbourg application as running."
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Sorry the guy is guilty and his medical condition is a result of him waking up to what he has done. Show no mercy I say.
There are mitigating circumstances.
1) The treaty and mechanism is not reciprocal - because they would not satisfy the American Constitution, i.e. the human rights of American citizens. This is evidence of bad faith on the Americans part. The treaty has already been misused to extradite UK citizens for non terror related accusations. It is bad legislation.
2) There is strong anecdotal evidence that the Americans are greatly exaggerating the the consequences of Gary's activities and hence the prosecution and any sentence would be likely to be vindictive. After all we have Guantanamo Bay as a precedent of how they behave in such matters.
3) As I understand it, our own CPS declined to prosecute, for whatever reasons.
Speaking for myself, and I believe, many other people, I would be happy for the Americans to present their evidence for extradition in our courts in order to to test the evidence and establish a prima face case for extradition. I am not happy that the British justice system should be subverted by or be subservient to the American justice system in this matter, or any other.
Yes they should present a proper case for extradition, otherwise it just amounts to people being 'taken away' under the guise of extradition.
Meanwhile, the homeland secrurity over there have started to prosecute US citizens and give them as much as 20 years in jail for as little as arguing with an airline steward/ess.
These days I wouldn't condemn anyone to America - not even as a tourist :(
