Select committee: Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
Recommendation 7
Fourth Report - Cross-border co-operation on policing, security and criminal justice after Brexit
Published 28 Apr 2021
Paragraph 57
Addressed to Northern Ireland Executive; Northern Ireland Office
Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Cross-border co-operation on policing, security and criminal justice after Brexit All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The new extradition arrangements agreed between the UK and EU include some important differences from the European Arrest Warrant. The Trade and Co- operation Agreement introduces a political offence exception and allows states to refuse to extradite their own nationals. There is a requirement to establish double criminality, which can be waived in defined circumstances, although the Government has no plans to do so. Those differences should not significantly affect extradition processes between the UK and Ireland. However, the speed of extradition between the UK and Ireland may be slowed in some cases, if there is a requirement to establish double criminality as part of the process of suspect surrender. The Government must commission a review of the effect of the new extradition arrangements after they have been in force for two years. Research on the effect of the need to establish double criminality on the speed of extradition processes between the UK and Ireland should form part of this review.
From: Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, Fourth Report - Cross-border co-operation on policing, security and criminal justice after Brexit (HC 766), paragraph 57, 28 April 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 5 July 2021 (deadline 28 June 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government response sets out how the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) arrangements operate and says it will "take steps to address any issues should they arise", while giving a mostly non-committal reply on several recommendations.
- On the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, the government says it was convened on 24 June 2021 in Dublin, and "It was agreed that the next BIIGC should take place in London in November."
- On inviting Northern Ireland Executive representatives to the Specialised Committee, the government says it values their perspective, but "final discretion in any specific instance as regards attendance would be held by the UK co-chair".
- On a review of extradition after two years, the response does not commit to one. It says it will "continue to work closely" with partners to monitor the arrangements and "take steps to address any issues should they arise".
- On a Northern Ireland centre of excellence, the government says it "looks forward to reviewing any proposed plans" from the PSNI, the Department of Justice and other agencies.