TNAG-2654-FCO40-3847-Extradition-cases-from-the-UK-and-France-to-Hong-Kong-Lorrai-1992 — Page 87

Home Secretary was only faced with an application for leave to

apply for judicial review, the initial affidavit filed on his

behalf by Geoffrey Underwood, the head of the Extradition Unit

in the Home Office, provided singularly little information as to

the circumstances in which the Home Secretary came to his

decision.

The court regarded this as unsatisfactory and

therefore addressed a series of "interrogatories" to the Home

Secretary designed to elicit sufficient information to enable the

court adequately to scrutinise his decision. On instructions,

Miss Montgomery answered the majority of those interrogatories

and her answers are now confirmed by Mr. Underwood in a further

affidavit. Miss Montgomery was not able to answer all the

interrogatories because she contended that if the Home Secretary

were to give the information requested, this would offend a

public interest class immunity which the Home Secretary is

required to preserve.

Mr. Thomas did not contest this

contention. Mr. Underwood's affidavits indicate that the Home

Secretary came to his decision as follows:

Shortly after the Home Secretary took office, on 15th

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