UK and US extradition treaty overhaul urged

Vital extradition arrangements between the UK and the US are being threatened by the loss of public confidence among Britons, MPs said today.

There is a risk that the lack of confidence, fuelled by concerns over a series of high-profile cases, "will translate into wider disaffection", the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee warned.

It called for an overhaul of the controversial 2003 treaty which governs arrangements, saying judges should decide where cases are heard, an initial test of someone's guilt should be considered, and the treaty's text should be changed to ensure it is balanced.