§ Mr. John MorrisTo ask the Attorney-General whether he has now reached a decision for the prosecution of Patrick Ryan under the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act 1976 in Ireland.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI have nothing to ad to the written answer that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr.Hayes) on 22 December 1988.
§ Mr. MarlowTo ask the Attorney-General if he will seek to challenge the Irish Attorney-General's ruling on the extradition of Patrick Ryan in an Irish court; and if he will make a statement.
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§ The Attorney-GeneralAs I told the House on 14 December 1988 in answer to the private notice question tabled by the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Fraser), I found it singularly surprising that the Irish Attorney-General denied the application on the ground of fair trial. The very recent Extradition (Amendment) Act 1987 does not provide that the Irish Attorney-General should satisfy himself on that score. There have been a number of commentaries in the Irish press questioning the legality of his decision. I am not persuaded, however, that the objective of securing the return of fugitive offenders would be served by my taking action in the Irish courts. The Government are making representations to the Irish Government concerning the forthcoming review of part III of the Extradition Act 1965, as amended by the 1987 Act.