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@ 2012/07/04British Home Secretary Theresa May's plans to bring transportation back into UK law are gathering pace.
For the last year, May has been sending asylum seekers back to whatever country wants to torture them and is now starting her new plan to transport people back to the colonies.
While many people would think the approach is dragging the UK back to the 18th Century, May can point out that was a period when Britain had an Empire and before the Labour Party gave it away.
May's latest candidate for transportation is TVShack founder Richard O'Dwyer, who she wants to be sent to the US to be tried, jailed and never to see the white cliffs of Dover again.
Despite widespread calls for her to engage her brain and tell the Americans to sling their hook, May is insisting on transporting O'Dwyer to the colonies.
In doing so, O'Dywer gets one of those quaint American trials which lets the wealthy off but forces sentences of millions of years on those who can't afford representation.
O'Dywer faces a charge of copyright infringement, which means that he has managed to annoy private companies so much that they have asked their friends in government to mount a criminal investigation.
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales' started an anti-extradition petition last week. May, however, does not seem to mind that 200,000 voters thinking she is bowing down to America is a problem.
She pointed out that the UK courts found there were no statutory bars to his surrender under the Extradition Act 2003 and so she signed an order for his extradition to the US.
It is true that May's transportation policy might be questioned by his appeal hearing later in the year. However, the judge's hands are pretty much tied by a bizzare extradition process which allows for British citizens to be dragged into US kangaroo courts, while American citizens cannot be similarly treated in a UK court.
Wales pointed out that the case against O'Dwyer is thin and if it is prosecuted anywhere it is should be in the UK. No US citizen has ever been brought to the UK for alleged criminal activity that took place on US soil.
In countries like New Zealand, extradition of people on copyright charges have not been going so well. Kim Dotcom's arrest has already been ruled illegal and judges are asking why he is being charged in the US when his business had little to do with that country.
Still, if Teresa May's desire to bring in transportation goes ahead, it could lead to all British criminals ending up in Australia, New Zealand and the US.
For the last year, May has been sending asylum seekers back to whatever country wants to torture them and is now starting her new plan to transport people back to the colonies.
While many people would think the approach is dragging the UK back to the 18th Century, May can point out that was a period when Britain had an Empire and before the Labour Party gave it away.
May's latest candidate for transportation is TVShack founder Richard O'Dwyer, who she wants to be sent to the US to be tried, jailed and never to see the white cliffs of Dover again.
Despite widespread calls for her to engage her brain and tell the Americans to sling their hook, May is insisting on transporting O'Dwyer to the colonies.
In doing so, O'Dywer gets one of those quaint American trials which lets the wealthy off but forces sentences of millions of years on those who can't afford representation.
O'Dywer faces a charge of copyright infringement, which means that he has managed to annoy private companies so much that they have asked their friends in government to mount a criminal investigation.
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales' started an anti-extradition petition last week. May, however, does not seem to mind that 200,000 voters thinking she is bowing down to America is a problem.
She pointed out that the UK courts found there were no statutory bars to his surrender under the Extradition Act 2003 and so she signed an order for his extradition to the US.
It is true that May's transportation policy might be questioned by his appeal hearing later in the year. However, the judge's hands are pretty much tied by a bizzare extradition process which allows for British citizens to be dragged into US kangaroo courts, while American citizens cannot be similarly treated in a UK court.
Wales pointed out that the case against O'Dwyer is thin and if it is prosecuted anywhere it is should be in the UK. No US citizen has ever been brought to the UK for alleged criminal activity that took place on US soil.
In countries like New Zealand, extradition of people on copyright charges have not been going so well. Kim Dotcom's arrest has already been ruled illegal and judges are asking why he is being charged in the US when his business had little to do with that country.
Still, if Teresa May's desire to bring in transportation goes ahead, it could lead to all British criminals ending up in Australia, New Zealand and the US.
