§ Mr. Stratton Millsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will enter into discussions with the Republic of Ireland Government to explore the extension of extradition arrangements between Northern and Southern Ireland and, in particular, to see if a greater range of items currently considered political might be included.
§ Mr. KershawThe exclusion of political offences from those for which a person may be extradited is a common feature of extradition agreements, whether formal treaties or, as in this case, based on common legislation. In view of the separation of the powers of the Executive and the judiciary in the Irish Republic, as in the United Kingdom, there is little a Government can do if the courts determine that an offence is political. But where extradition is denied because of a reluctance on the part of the appropriate authorities in the Republic to see that the procedures are implemented, we can and do raise the matter with the Irish Republic Government.