CONFIDENTIAL
160123 MDLOAN 1375
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO 504
OF 27132OZ FEBRUARY 89
@
нко
MKD 384/1
D
YOUR TELNO 555 EXTRADITION: 10TH ASIAN REGIONAL INTERPOL CONFERENCE
1. YOU MAY LIKE TO KNOW THAT UAE HAVE BEEN PRESSING US FOR SEVERAL YEARS TO CONCLUDE AN EXTRADITION AGREEMENT. AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO A FULL AGREEMENT THEY HAVE ALSO SUGGESTED A MORE RESTRICTED ARRANGEMENT EXCLUDING THE EXTRADITION OF BRITISH NATIONALS TO THE UAE.
2. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE HAVE NO WISH TO HARBOUR THEIR CRIMINALS, WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY REJECTED THESE REQUESTS ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR LEGAL/ PENAL SYSTEMS ARE TOO GREAT. HOWEVER YOU WILL BE AWARE THAT ONCE THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT 1988 COMES INTO FORCE, AD HOC EXTRADITION (IE EXTRADITION WITHOUT A FORMAL TREATY) WILL BE THEEORETICALLY POSSIBLE, ALTHOUGH WE WARNED THE UAE AUTHORITIES AS RECENTLY AS LAST OCTOBER THAT, AGAIN, DIFFERENCES IN OUR JUDICIAL, LEGAL AND PENAL SYSTEMS WILL PROBABLY RULE IT OUT AS FAR AS THE UAE IS CONCERNED.
3. IT IS NOT YET CLEAR TO WHAT EXTENT THESE NEW ARRANGEMENTS MAY BE APPLIED TO THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES IN GENERAL AND HONG KONG IN PARTICULAR. WE ARE WELL AWARE OF YOUR SPECIAL PROBLEMS AND WOULD TAKE NO ACTION WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING YOU (MONK'S CIRCULAR LETTER OF 7 JUNE 1988 TO ATTORNEYS GENERAL, AND WOOD'S LETTER OF 28 OCTOBER TO NEWALL).
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