Norris in US extradition court ruling
IAN Norris, former Morgan Crucible boss, is facing extradition to the US after losing a battle in the Supreme Court over allegations of obstructing justice.
The judgement, handed down yesterday morning saw the Supreme Court unanimously dismiss Norris’ appeal of the extradition, which will see him further tried by the American authorities.
Norris, who is ill with prostate cancer, appealed to the Supreme Court towards the end of last year stating that an extradition would cause further mental and health damage to both himself and his wife as prosecution in the US would be incompatible with his right to a private family life.
Norris, who retired from Morgan Crucible, which specialises in carbon products, was charged in September 2003 with obstruction of justice offences and a month later an indictment was filed against him for price fixing in the UK.
Previous to this case, Norris had won a fight in the House of Lords preventing extradition to the US in relation to a cartel case.
In 2005 the US Home Secretary issued an extradition order for Norris and claimed that he should he tried for allegedly hiding evidence of Morgan Crucible’s complicity in price fixing.
Norris’ solicitor Alistair Graham at law firm White & Case said that he was disappointed with today’s ruling and that the continued efforts to extradite him were disproportionate.
Graham said: “When the government put in place new extradition arrangements in 2003, it stripped the citizens it is meant to serve of fundamental protection.”
White & Case intend to lodge an application to the European Court of Human Rights within the next week to block to extradition. The 28-day extradition period started yesterday.