I have been working with the Home Office in passing the Extradition Bill through Parliament, and I took questions in the Chamber on the matter on Monday 22nd June 2020.
The Bill concerns threats which we face from cross-border criminality and will see people wanted for a serious crime by a trusted country, and who may be a danger to our people, taken off our streets as soon as they are encountered, allowing police to arrest wanted people more quickly.
Where a person is wanted for a serious offence by a trusted country, our police will have the power then and there to get them off our streets and into the court system, and before a judge here in the United Kingdom.
At the moment a potentially dangerous, wanted individual who is known to the police, can possibly remain at liberty on the streets of this country, able to offend, reoffend, and abscond, and there are examples where this has happened. It is vital that the police have the powers they need to keep us safe and this Bill helps ensure that.
All current safeguards will continue to apply and the courts will have the same power and protection as they do now, including to ensure a person will not be extradited if doing so would breach their human rights, if the request if politically motivated, or if they would be at risk of facing the death penalty.
I am confident that this Bill will make this country safer and I was pleased to see cross-party support in the Commons for this measure. It is important on these measures – especially in times like these – that we can speak as one about the security of the people of this country.
This is a matter of supporting our police here in the United Kingdom, and nothing is more important than ensuring the safety of our people.
You can watch me discussing this Bill in Parliament on Monday 22nd June 2020 here (duration approx. 7 minutes): https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/298cb61c-7f04-429f-bb05-b5a91f50c340?in=17:27:44&out=17:34:24