AL rejects extradition treaty in surprise move

According to Ho Iat Seng, the proposal “has technical problems”

The Legislative Assembly (AL) has rejected a government proposal for the extradition of wanted fugitives between Macau, Hong Kong and mainland China, after the Secretary for Administration and Justice hinted earlier this year that the multilateral deal was near completion.
The unprecedented decision was explained by the AL as being the reaction by the body to technical problems in the draft legislation.
AL president Ho Iat Seng told Radio Macau that the proposal “has technical problems” and has therefore been sent back to the government for review. He added that the two branches of government “are engaging in dialogue” to try to overcome the issues, but would not disclose the areas in which the technical problems were identified.
Earlier this year the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Sonia Chan, said that she expected the draft law to be passed soon, though she noted that there was no fixed timeline for the legislation and that difficulties persisted due to differences between the three territories’ legal systems.
The extradition treaty has sparked controversy due to the legislation’s proposed retroactive effect, which would allow individuals who were already convicted before the passing of the law to be surrendered as long as the rulings against them remain valid.
In addition, the proposal backed by the Chief Executive, Chui Sai On, in December allows for the extradition of people wanted by China for crimes against national security, even though there is no equivalent crime in Macau.
Groups critical of the government have raised their concerns that this may violate international extradition principles and that it could potentially invalidate Basic Law guarantees. DB