[LINK] Aussie Drink or Die member handed to US on a plate

Glen Turner gdt at gdt.id.au
Sun May 13 11:17:27 AEST 2007


On Sat, 2007-05-12 at 07:37 +1000, Alastair Rankine wrote:

> I'm just asking that if he has violated US law, and we hold him, why  
> *shouldn't* he be extradited?
> 
> Is the fact that he is to be charged for intellectual property law  
> relevant? If so, why? What makes IP law so special as to be excluded  
> from extradition?

Hi Alastair,

It is very unusual for the Australian government to extradite
people without prosecuting them for their breaches of Australian
law first.

In fact, Australian policy is the reverse. So much so that the AFP
is under considerable criticism for not arresting drug smugglers
in Australia (where the penalty does not include death).

The question in my mind is why we are not prosecuting this person's
crimes in Australia?  Then making him available for extradition for
any of his *other* actions (making him available for crimes arising
from the same actions would be double jeopardy).

It is our government which is treating this "IP law" case
specially, rather than those objecting to the extradition.

Regards, Glen




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