header-logo header-logo

16 March 2007 / Ana Stanic
Issue: 7264 / Categories: Features , Constitutional law , Commercial
printer mail-detail

Fat cats beware

US/UK extradition procedures leave few get-out clauses for white collar criminals, says Ana Stanic

Norris v Government of the US [2007] EWHC 71 (Admin), [2007] All ER (D) 199 (Jan) is only the second instance in which the Divisional Court has confirmed that a British national should be extradited for white collar crimes pursuant to the controversial US/UK Treaty of Extradition 2003 (the Treaty) and the Extradition Act 2003 (EA 2003).

The first time such extradition proceedings were brought under the Treaty and EA 2003 was in respect of the three NatWest bankers in the high-profile Enron-related case. That case confirmed that the Treaty and EA 2003’s removal of the requirement to establish a prima facie case for extradition from the UK to the US does not breach the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention).

In Norris the High Court addressed the following issues:
(i) Is a conspiracy to price-fix a crime under English law and, in particular, a conspiracy to defraud?
(ii) Does a person need to be capable of

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Foot Anstey—Jasmine Olomolaiye

Foot Anstey—Jasmine Olomolaiye

Investigations and corporate crime expert joins as partner

Fieldfisher—Mark Shaw

Fieldfisher—Mark Shaw

Veteran funds specialist joins investment funds team

Taylor Wessing—Stephen Whitfield

Taylor Wessing—Stephen Whitfield

Firm enhances competition practice with London partner hire

NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
back-to-top-scroll