Ania Grudzinska, instructed by Hollingsworth Edwards, secures the discharge of an extradition arrest warrant from Poland.
An arrest warrant was issued by the Polish Judicial Authority for the requested person to serve a prison sentence for an offence committed in 2004. The requested person was sentenced to a suspended sentence which was subsequently activated due to the fact that he had committed another offence shortly afterwards. Ania’s client came to the UK in 2006 and had not committed any further offences since. He worked consistently since his arrival and lived openly in the UK and has been in a relationship with his partner for 14 years.
The District Judge found him to be a fugitive however, she found that this was a finely balanced case to determine. The Judge found that there was culpable delay on the part of the Judicial Authority which spanned some 12 years. Interestingly, she stated: “I cannot ignore difficulties of the UK’s departure from EU…He has put himself in this situation but the delay has also put him in this situation. If he had been hiding, moving around, it would all be very different. But all these factors put together.. I find all of those factors with the delay tip the balance…It’s finely balanced in favour of concluding that the high public interest in extradition is outweighed and, therefore, I do order the RP’s discharge pursuant 21 of the Act.”
The Arrest Warrant was formally discharged and the client released.