Commonwealth Extradition Plan

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31052, 6 May 1966, Page 13

Commonwealth Extradition Plan

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, May 4. The Australian Attorney-General (Mr Snedden), said today Australia would soon have extradition legislation based on principles set out at the recent Commonwealth law ministers’ conference in London.

Mr Snedden said that under the legislation Australia would have discretionary powers on whether an offender from another Commonwealth country should lie returned.

He said he would report to the Australian Government on his return and possibly introduce the legislation by the next Budget session. The conference today issued a communique after two weeks of discussion between the law ministers, attorneygenerals, and officials from 20 Commonwealth countries.

The communique said the conference considered that Commonwealth extradition arrangements should be based upon reciprocity and substantially uniform legislation, incorporating certain features commonly found in extradition treaties.

This included a list of returnable offences, the establishment of prima facie cases before return and restrictions on the . return ■ of political offenders. The conference formulated a scheme which could form the basis of legislation, containing common principles, within the Commonwealth. The communique said the conference recommended that effect should be given to the

scheme in each Commonwealth country. It added: “The scheme does not apply to Southern Rhodesia.”

Mr Snedden said that if legislation were passed it would not affect any other arrangements Australia might have. This would be so with New Zealand, where extradition arrangements were almost the same as between New South Wales and Victoria.