New Zealand extradition law

Abstract

Any system of international co-operation for the suppression of crime demands that the interest of states in effective suppression be balanced by the interest of potential subjects of the criminal process in accurate outcomes achieved by reasonable means. In this respect, international and domestic criminal justice systems face the same issues. The difference between them is one of scale and degree. At the international level the difficulties of suppression are greatly magnified. The injury caused to an individual wrongfully expelled, surrendered or prosecuted may also be substantially increased. These competing interests can be accommodated in two ways: within a particular procedure, and by the development of different but complementary procedures such as extradition, reciprocal enforcement of judgments and prisoner transfer, some of which emphasise the interests of states, others of which emphasise the interests of individuals.