Seven Bahamian men wanted on drug related charges in the United States on Monday secured permission from the Court of Appeal to have their case heard before the Privy Council in London, the final appellate court for this jurisdiction.
The men were taken back to Her Majesty’s Prison, where they will await word on when their case will be heard. The ruling means that prosecutors in the Attorney General’s Office will have to hold off on extradition proceedings until a ruling is delivered on the high profile case in London.
Last June, the Court of Appeal determined that Supreme Court Justice Jon Isaacs had made an error in his ruling, opening the door for Brian and Lynden Deal, Thomas Roberts, Devroy Moss, Sheldon Moore, Shanto Curry and Gordon Newbold to continue their fight in the highest court of the land.
Justice Isaacs had ruled that the extradition treaty between The Bahamas and the United States was unconstitutional because it was signed in April 1994 without being properly laid before the House of Assembly.
Although Court of Appeal justices granted permission for the case to be heard at the Privy Council level, they indicated on Monday that there was no prior application before them for such a motion.
Following last year’s Supreme Court ruling, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the Bahamian Government’s commitment to the extradition treaty, that the Attorney General’s Office had insisted was legal.
The treaty allows the U.S. to seek out persons for extradition that it believes are guilty of committing a crime in or against the U.S., while providing reciprocity for The Bahamas.
By: Stephen Gay, The Bahama Journal
