Saturday 4 October 2008

The European Arrest Warrant

The case of Dr Gerald Fredrick Töben, he of the singularly unpleasant opinions arrested at Heathrow on Wednesday, raises serious concerns about the way in which laws that apply in one EU member state can be pursued in another. Indeed, our Government is one of those in the process of signing up to a scheme where people who have been tried in their absence in one country can be extradited from another providing their conviction is for a crime that carries a prison sentence. There's some pretty odd 'crimes' scattered across the EU so I suppose there's a risk that sooner or later I'll find I'm being extradited to Italy and banged up for five years in a cell with Sabina Guzzanti (oh, the hardship), and all because I've said something nasty about the Pope.

As for Dr Töben, I can only endorse the views of Chris Huhne. Decline him an entry visa and let that be the end of it.

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